What a Web We Weave
by Rae-Prite
Summary: Heather's been training hard for one year as Black Widow. She only wanted to make Spiderman proud, but it seems almost impossible. Now she's joined Young Justice, and the trials she's endured so far will pale compared to what's ahead. Friendship, betrayal, heartache, defeats and triumphs - she'll face them all to become a true hero. Xover w/ Marvel Universe
1. The Arrival

_Hello, everyone :) I'm Rae, welcome to my first Young Justice story. This is basically a series of one-shots connected with a story I'll be doing soon in the Spiderman universe. Now, yes, I know that Spiderman is Marvel and Young Justice is DC, but we're gonna smash them together here, so bear with me please._

_The main character here is my own twist on Spiderman's daughter – I say my own twist because I have no idea what she was like in the comics, so I'm just winging it here. I could be totally off cannon or right on target… frankly, I don't really care, I've just got to write this or it will slowly drive me insane O.o xD Some things will be obvious from the start, like how this is set just after the episode "Agendas", and some will be explained later on, like why Spiderman and Heather (his daughter, also called Black Widow) are on rocky terms._

_Anyway, these one-shots are written in order, but they're not exactly like consecutive chapters in a story, as a lot of time could have lapsed between scenes or none at all, and some will have happened before "Agendas". Confused yet? I know I am, but we're gonna give this a shot anyway :D Hope you like it, and please review._

**New Spider in Town**

**1) The Arrival**

"So why did you call us all here, Batman?" M'gann asked from where she floated next to Conner.

"I thought we were training today," Artemis agreed. "Black Canary's not here though, so… what's the deal?"

Wally, Zatanna and Connor seemed to agree by their expressions. Aqualad was silent, but obviously curious. Robin had been smirking knowingly since he'd arrived with Batman.

"As you all know," Batman began his face stoic as usual. "The Justice League recently met to discuss some new members – both for the League and your team as well. We disagreed on many choices but one very important figure was agreed upon without arguments. He will join the league, and his protégé will join Young Justice."

"And that would be who exactly?" Wally asked.

"See for yourself," Batman invited, just as the zeta beam portal glowed behind him.

_Recognize. Spiderman A19._ The computer intoned.

Out of the glow stepped the webslinger himself. "That thing always gives me a head rush," he remarked as he came to stand beside Batman.

Wally's eyes grew huge before he zipped up to the Arachnid hero. "Oh my god! Spiderman, dude, I am such a _huge_ fan!" He said excitedly while shaking the older man's hand a little too vigorously.

Spiderman took a step back as his arm was vibrated up and down. "Good to meet you too. It's Kid Flash, right?" He inquired warily.

"Yes!" Wally exclaimed, nodding his head rapidly as he released Spiderman's hand. He turned and zipped over to Robin, practically bouncing. "Dude, Spiderman knows my name!" he said in a not so quiet whisper.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Wally, honestly. He's a member of the League now – of course he knows all our names!"

Wally sent her an annoyed glare. "You're just jealous," he retorted.

"Jealous? Of you? Don't make me laugh," Artemis snipped.

As the two oblivious teens argued, the rest of the team stepped up to Spiderman to make proper introductions. Aqualad bowed respectfully as well as shook the hero's hand, M'gann practically hugged him and Connor only nodded. Zatanna shook his hand, noting that Robin failed to step up.

She shot Robin an accusing look as the grin on his face only grew. "You knew this was Batman's news, didn't you?"

"Of course I did," Robin replied, as if it was obvious. "I know everything," he added cockily, the sunglasses unable to hide his lifted eyebrow like his mask could.

"He only knows because he hacked into the Watchtower's computer and looked over the security tapes. Against my strict orders," Batman said, throwing a light batglare at his adopted son.

Robin's demeanor dimmed only slightly. "Hey, I built that computer from scratch. I didn't need to hack, just access the back door I installed." The smirk was back now, "Besides, if I didn't hack as well as I do, I wouldn't be the Boy Wonder! Don't get traught about it."

To anyone else, it looked like the batglare intensified. But to Robin, he could see past the cowl and discern the corners of Bruce's mouth twitching slightly. Dick's grin could now give the Joker a run for his money.

"You said that you also added a new member to our team. Where is he?" Connor asked.

"She should be here soon," Spiderman answered, glancing at the zeta tubes, his tone annoyed. "I could have sworn she was right behind me."

"She?" Zatanna asked, glancing at Robin to see that yes, he knew about this too. Surprise, surprise.

The computer answered before Spiderman could. _Recognize. Black Widow B09._

Instead of someone stepping out of the tube however, they flipped into Mount Justice in a double somersault before landing in a crouch. The figure looked up and grinned.

"Did I miss anything?" the girl asked while standing. Black Widow, Spiderman's sidekick, put her hands on her hips as her smile grew. Her eyes danced secretly behind the mask that was of a similar style to her mentor's, but it only covered half of her face like Artemis' cowl.

Coming out of the back of the mask and trailing down behind her was a long braid of auburn hair. She was a little taller than M'gann with tanned skin and an athletic, sinewy form. Her costume had the same design base as Spiderman's, but with purple in the place of red and black instead of blue. In addition, Widow's top was sleeveless and with a bared midriff. Her gloves were black, fingerless motorcycle gloves and she had a silver utility belt with the familiar emblem of her mentor stamped in black.

"Late as usual, I see," Robin said playfully, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I heard you were going to be here so I had to drag out arriving as long as possible," she replied with a smirk while stepping up to stand next to Spiderman. He sent her a look of annoyance while she just smirked back.

"You were right behind me," he said lowly. "What happened?"

"Mugging," she replied in a normal tone, not caring who heard, "There was a woman with a baby. I had to do something and it didn't take long really. Guy's hanging from a flag pole over Third Avenue now with a note for the cops. I got here as fast as I could afterwards," she added.

"What have I told you about going in without me?" Spiderman demanded, seeming to forget the people standing around them.

"Don't do it, you don't have enough experience, blah, blah, blah," Black Widow replied in a bored voice. She shook her head, "Seriously, I've been doing this for almost a year and you still don't trust me to take a _mugger_ by myself? It's not like it was Hydroman or something, just another hood with a sad excuse for a pocketknife."

"You should have contacted me," Spiderman scolded.

"I knew I could handle it and I did," His protégé replied in an icy tone. "Just because you think I can't do this job doesn't mean I can't. It only makes you look more and more paranoid. Oh and in case you've forgotten, we're not the only ones in the room. So now on top of everything else, we both look totally unprofessional."

Spiderman glanced over at Young Justice and The Batman and winced. The team was trying to look anywhere than at the two heroes. Even Artemis and Wally had quit bickering long enough to notice what was happening and appear uncomfortable. Batman, meanwhile, was in full batglare mode.

"If you two are done now," Batman articulated darkly to the senior part of the arachnid duo. "You and I have to get back to the Watchtower for a meeting. Green Lantern – Hal – has returned to Earth with an urgent report. Superman gets annoyed when people are late."

"Forgive the interruption. We can leave immediately." Spiderman sent one more look at his protégé, his meaning clear even through the full face mask. _We'll continue this later._

She sent him a look right back, her jaw clenched. _Don't expect it to go well._

Batman turned toward the zeta tubes, throwing one warning over his shoulder. "No hacking Robin, this is strictly League business. I'll let you know if I have a mission for the team soon."

Robin crossed his arms and sighed. "Yes, Batman. Guess he's not feeling the aster today." Zatanna giggled and patted his shoulder consolingly.

_Recognize. Batman A01. Recognize Spiderman A19._

When the light from the zeta beam faded away, so did the tension in Black Widow's shoulders. She sighed. "I hate it when he's like that," she muttered.

Turning back to the Young Justice team, she rubbed her neck sheepishly. "I, uh, guess we didn't really get introduced properly. I'm Black Widow," she greeted. She paused for a moment before pulling back her cowl-like mask. "But, you guys can call me Heather," she added after revealing her face, including her high cheekbones and light blue eyes.

"It's good to meet you, Heather," M'gann said first, throwing her arms around the other girl in a hug. "I am M'gann, also called Miss Martian." She changed her skin from green to Caucasian and giggled. "I'm also called Megan."

Heather was obviously not much of a hugger, but she patted the alien's back gently. "Uh, hi. Is it common for Martians to have three names?"

M'gann pulled back with a giggle. "No, it's just for me!" She gestured at her larger than life boyfriend. "This is Superboy, or Connor Kent." The Kryptonian nodded.

Heather's eyes widened. "Where'd you find him?" she asked with a small smile.

"In a cloning pod inside Cadmus," Connor answered.

Heather blinked. "O-okay," She said hesitantly. That wasn't the response she'd expected. "Cool."

Artemis stepped forward. "I'm Artemis," she said simply and the girls shook hands.

Zatanna waved from Robin's side. "Zatanna Zatara. This is Robin."

"We've met," Heather replied wryly and Robin smirked.

"Maybe we could spar later for old time's sake?" Robin teased.

"Oh you're on, Boy Blunder," Heather shot back with a grin. "Remember, you still owe me a soda from the last time."

"I still say it didn't count," Robin retorted immediately. "You might have hit him the first time but it was my punch that took him out."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Heather said, rolling her eyes. She was distracted a moment later by a yellow and red blur stopping abruptly in front of her.

"Hi," the red haired boy greeted with a grin. "I'm Kid Flash. My friends call me Wally West."

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure we call you Kid Idiot," Artemis said with a snort.

"And Kid Mouth," Robin added in a singsong voice.

"And Kid Twinkle Toes," Zatanna chimed in, wrinkling her nose as she thought of the last time Wally had managed to set off the alarm of the complex they'd been sent to survey. Needless to say, all hell had broken loose.

"Dudes," Wally growled through gritted teeth, "You're making me look bad!"

"You do a pretty good job of that all on your own," Artemis told him, crossing her arms and cocking one hip to the side.

"Do not!" Wally shouted.

"Do too!"

The argument continued in that manner while the rest looked on with bored expressions, with the exception of Heather who appeared mildly amused. "Do they do that a lot?"

"Pretty much," Connor replied. His eyes were going back and forth between the two Meta and non-Meta heroes like it was a tennis match.

Heather shook her head and chuckled. "Well, they make a cute couple, that's for sure," she remarked.

"Oh they're not dating," M'gann replied cheerfully.

Heather cocked an eyebrow. "No?"

"We'll fill you in on the spitfire angle later," Zatanna said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Heather shrugged and shook her head, "If you say so."

While the others continued to watch the argument unfold, she looked over and met the eyes of the last member she hadn't been introduced to yet. "Hey," she said softly, "I'm Black Widow… Heather," she held out her hand to Aqualad invitingly.

The Atlantian hesitated before giving it a firm grip. His eyes widened when he felt a small shock in his palm from the contact. Judging by Heather's look of surprise, she felt it as well. He wondered if his electrical powers were malfunctioning, but didn't really think so. This feeling was… different. The shock, while unexpected, was rather warm and pleasant. After the initial spark, it dulled to a steady throb, like another heartbeat. He found he liked it. "I am Kaldur'ahm or Aqualad. I am the team leader, at least for the time being."

Heather raised an eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. "Thinking of resigning?"

Kaldur hesitated. "The team needed a leader. While Robin is ideal, given he has the most experience, he is not yet ready. I was the next logical choice."

Heather nodded, like she understood the feeling of having a role forced upon you that didn't fit. "It must be a hard burden to bear," she said sympathetically.

"At times," Kaldur agreed, "But not always."

They still hadn't let go of each other's hands. Oddly enough, Heather found she didn't really care, and neither it seemed did Kaldur.


	2. Settling In

_Well? What did you think? You must've enjoyed it a little, otherwise you wouldn't be reading now, would you? :D lol I love it when I'm right ;) This one will have some stuff in it that may not be clear to begin with (hint, are you feeling the aster? xD love that line lol), but it'll get better as the story goes on… I think anyway xD Here's number two, set not long after number one, enjoy B-)_

**New Spider in Town**

**2) Settling In**

Heather opened the cardboard box in front of her, taking out a rectangular object wrapped in newspaper. Pulling away the paper revealed a framed photograph with herself and two smaller kids in Central Park. She smiled at the image of a twelve year old boy and a toddler age girl sitting on a picnic blanket with her. She carefully placed it on the plain desk, positioning it just right. While she wouldn't live at the mountain full time, she was given a bedroom in case of an overnight stay and was taking the time to decorate it a little.

The bedroom already had a twin bed, desk and chair, bathroom and a small closet and bureau dresser. Heather had added a new set of purple sheets to the bed, a purple and black patterned rug on the floor as well as put some extra sets of clothes in the closet and dresser. All that was left were a few homey touches.

"How's it coming?" Robin's voice came from behind her. She turned to see him framed in the doorway, leaning against it casually.

"Just fine. Thought I'd add a few pictures," She gestured to the one on the desk and another she'd brought from the box. This one was of Heather with an older woman with almost identical features – _her mom, Mary Jane_, Robin thought.

"Need a hand?" He inquired.

She puckered her lips thoughtfully then gestured at a box at the foot of the bed. "There are some stuff in there you could unpack. Just put it all out on the bed and I'll figure out where to put it from there."

Robin nodded and pushed off from the wall. He flipped open the boxes lid, slightly surprised to find a number of sports trophies, medals and awards hidden within. He held a medal up and read the engraving aloud. "_First Place Champion Long Distance Runner of the 2003 New York City Meet_." He glanced over at her, "You're a runner?"

Heather looked up from the sweatshirt she was folding. "Oh, that? Yeah, I've been running since I was a little kid. My powers didn't actually manifest until a year ago, but I'd always been faster, more flexible and a little more agile than most kids. Running came natural to me. Same way flipping around like a monkey comes to you," she finished, a teasing smile on her face.

"By the way," she added thoughtfully, "What's with the sunglasses? I mean, we all know you're cool Robin, but seriously we're inside a _mountain_. Not a lot of bright lights in here."

Robin, instead of answering, got up and closed the door, accessing the computer through the pad on the wall and shutting off the security cameras.

Heather raised an eyebrow. "If you wanted to get me alone, you should have just asked. Although I think your girlfriend will be mighty pissed off," she said while taking a seat on the bed.

"Zatanna's not my girlfriend," Robin said quickly, blushing.

Heather only grinned. "Sure, sure, whatever you say."

Robin growled in a very Batman-like way, but it only made Heather laugh. "That's not why I turned off the cameras," he finally gritted out.

"Oh? Why did you then Dick?" She asked, lounging back comfortably on the heels of her palms.

"I turned them off to tell you that you can't call me that around here," He said folding his arms.

"Why not?"

"Because aside from a few senior members of the League and Wally, no one here knows my secret ID," Robin replied sharply.

Heather blinked and sat up. "No kidding? Not even your gir – er, I mean Zatanna?"

"Not even her," and it was obvious by his tone that the fact bothered him a great deal.

Heather frowned. "Why haven't you told the team? They have a right to know who they're working with."

"Batman's orders," Robin said briskly, turning away to look at the picture on the desk. "Besides, all of us here on the team have secrets. We're entitled to privacy."

"Still," she chewed at her lip thoughtfully. "Doesn't it make you distrust each other?"

"It would. If we all knew that we had secrets, but not what they are. As it is, we have secrets but we don't know that we have them. It's complicated, but we've been able to maintain a kind of order for a while now. We can only hope that it holds," He sounded a bit doubtful that it would.

"That doesn't sound like much of a system," Heather commented uncertainly.

"Heather, if I told them my real name it wouldn't take much of a leap to uncover Batman's. That's a risk that he can't afford – that we can't afford," Dick replied with finality. "It sucks, okay? I know it does. But it's what we have to do to keep the team together. If everything came out tomorrow… well, it would probably be the end of all we've worked to build here."

Heather studied him intently for a moment. "Do you know what everyone's hiding?"

Dick looked away. "Some, but not everything. I had no idea what Miss M's natural form was until a few weeks ago on a mission in Biayla… although I get the feeling she might have been lying even about that."

"She doesn't seem the type to lie, to me," she said.

"I know," Robin rubbed his neck. "But Batman taught me to trust my instincts and they're telling me that she was holding back." He shook his head, "That doesn't matter right now. I trust M'gann, just like I trust everyone on the team, no matter their background. I hope you'll learn to do the same."

Heather looked down and sighed. "Do you know how I got put on the team?"

He frowned. "Batman said the League agreed it would be a good placement."

"That might have been what he said, but the truth is they agreed on Spiderman and then asked him about me. My dad was only too happy to be rid of having me around constantly." She snorted, "as he's said before, 'he's a solo hero' and doesn't need a _sidekick_." She sneered the term.

Robin sat beside her and leaned his elbows on his knees. "Batman said the same thing when I forced my way in. It took a long time for him to trust me enough to work with me. Give it time, B.W., he'll come around."

Heather stared at a picture nestled in packing paper at the top of a box in front of her. It was a formal family portrait, taken not long after her baby sister had turned one. Her father's smiling face stared back at her, his hands on her own and her mom's shoulders. MJ was holding a giggly Audrey, her pink hearing aids barely showing through her brown hair. Harry stood smack in the middle of them, an impish grin on his face. The perfect American family.

"I hope so Robin, I really do."


	3. Laundry

_Here's three – a bit fluffy, but mostly it's just laundry ;) Enjoy…_

**New Spider in Town**

**3) Laundry**

_Recognized. Black Widow. _The computer droned as Heather stepped out of the zeta tube, a large basket of clothes hiked up on her hip. "Hello? Anyone here?" she called through the silent mountain.

Red Tornado appeared from his apartment and landed in front of her. "Greetings, Black Widow. Most of the members of Young Justice are not here at present, and I was not aware of either Black Canary or The Batman requesting a meeting with you. What brings you to the mountain?"

Heather shook her head. "You're right, they didn't send for me. I had some clothes I needed to wash and I didn't have the patience or nearly enough quarters today to use the Laundromat down the block in New York. I hope it's okay if I use the washer and dryer here?"

"Of course," Red Tornado said in what could have been taken as a friendly voice, were it not for the monotone delivery. "I trust you know the way?"

"Yeah, I think I can manage," she replied agreeably.

"Then I will leave you to it," he said simply, before using his powers to retreat to his living quarters once more.

Heather watched his red twisters disappear before hiking the basket higher up on her hip and walking to the laundry room M'gann and Zatanna used to wash theirs, Connor's and Kaldur's clothes. The room was about the same size as a normal bedroom in the mountain, much larger than most laundry rooms in a house, and there were two washers and two dryers instead of one of each. Heather supposed this was because Mount Justice at one time had been the League's headquarters. As they had more members that had stayed on hand at the mountain than Young Justice, they probably had accumulated more laundry in one week than her team as well. It only made sense.

She put the basket down on the floor, sorting through the bags situated inside it. Something her mom had taught her was to separate your clothes into piles and then bag them carefully, before you got to the mat so you could get done faster. She pulled out the bag holding dark colors first, as it was the biggest one, and began putting them into the first washer.

Once that was started, she noticed a small radio on a shelf. Smiling she turned it on and scanned channels until she found something upbeat. Humming and bobbing her head side to side, she continued with her chore.

YJxYJxYJ

Kaldur stepped out of the saltwater pool and pulled his shirt back on. At times, he really missed being in Atlantis with King Orin. The pool was a poor substitution, but it was not always enjoyable to go to the beach alone and no one else was in the mountain aside from Red Tornado.

Or at least, that's what he had assumed. As he came around a corner while walking towards the kitchen, he heard a radio playing somewhere and someone singing along. He paused to determine which direction it was coming from, before heading to the laundry room.

The door was open a crack, the fast beat and heavy bass of a rock song filtering through with no trouble. He pushed it open, and came upon a rather strange sight.

There was Black Widow, dressed in denim short shorts and a baggy shirt with a low, wide collar that showed off her shoulders. She was barefoot and her auburn hair had been pulled into a messy bun. And she was… dancing? Yes, he believed that is what the surface dwellers called it. Either that or she was doing some strange ancient ritual.

Several strands of hair fell and bounced around her face as she moved. While her hands folded a pair of jeans, her feet flew beneath her in a chaotic, jumping rhythm, her hips swaying side to side. There seemed to be no part of her that wasn't moving. Even her lips sang the lyrics of the song on the radio.

Kaldur wasn't sure what to make of this. He still could not quite comprehend what had transpired between them at their first meeting. That spark he felt was… odd, but pleasant all the same. He wished to feel it again, but was unsure how to do so without making things awkward between himself and his new teammate.

It wasn't just the spark however. He felt an undeniable attraction to the girl – he was constantly finding himself wanting to be near her for no logical reason. Logic told him that they seemed to have little in common. Heather was outgoing while he was not. She smiled easily but he at times found it hard to do so. Her temper could flare quickly and diffuse just as fast. His disposition was a slow anger that built up and simmered beneath the surface for a long time, like volcanic vents on the ocean floor. He was an Atlantian, she a surface dwelling human.

Nothing in common at all.

And yet…

"Heather?" He asked aloud, catching her attention midjump, the next line of the song dying on her tongue.

Her eyes were wide, her face flushed; perhaps it was from the exercise or maybe from embarrassment. "K-Kaldur! Uh, hi. What are you doing here? Red Tornado said that most of the team was gone from the cave." She put down the shirt she'd been folding, turned down the radio and moved a few wisps of hair from her face.

Why was his heart beating so hard? This was strange. "That is true, most are. Connor, Zatanna and M'gann are at the mall in Happy Harbor. Robin is on a mission in Gotham with Batman, as is Wally with Flash. Artemis, I believe, is spending the day with her mother," Kaldur said, accounting for everyone's whereabouts.

"Well, what about you?" Heather asked fiddling with her shirt, which, Kaldur was now noticing, was also cut short so it showed off her toned abdomen.

Again, his heart seemed to increase its speed. Very strange indeed. "Things are quiet in Atlantis, so my King did not need my services. My friends were busy with their own lives under the ocean. As I was not particularly needed anywhere, I chose to remain here and, as Robin would say, _'hold down the fort'_."

She nodded, looking a tad hesitant. "Well, since you're not very busy – you're _not_, right?" When he shook his head, she continued, "since you're here and not busy, you could, I don't know, give me a hand with this stuff? If you want that is," she added quickly. "I'm certainly not going to _force_ you to do laundry… but I _could_ use the company." She bit her lip slightly, looking even more embarrassed by her moment of word vomit.

He considered her a moment. Yes, she _was_ a very strange girl. Yes, she seemed to babble a bit when nervous. And yes, he'd just caught her a moment ago jumping around faster than Wally on extra caffeinated coffee. Yet, Kaldur could think of nothing else he'd rather do at that moment than help this strange surface girl clean her clothes. How odd.

"I would be happy to assist you," Kaldur finally replied. "But, you will have to teach me how to do… _laundry_." The word felt funny rolling off his tongue.

Heather's face broke into a breathtaking grin. "Awesome! Oh and don't worry, it's easy. I'll have you getting out stains and separating whites from colors in no time," she enthused. She reached up and turned the radio up just a tad as he came to stand next to her.

She pointed to a pile of clean clothes that were fresh out of the dryer. "Let's start with the basics: Folding clothes. First thing you should know is when to hang something up and when to fold it…"


	4. Scent

_Four ;) Bit of a long drabble really, and not very important. It could be seen as fluffy if you tilt your head to the side and squint… *waits* you look odd like that lol xD Enjoy…_

**New Spider in Town**

**4) Scent**

"What do you think?" M'gann asked her teammates, holding up two different boxes from where she stood in the kitchen. "Blueberry pancakes, or chocolate chip for breakfast?"

Artemis and Robin both hardly looked up – she from tightening the tension of her bow, he from his wrist computer in his glove – as they answered.

"Don't care," the archer said, her tongue sliding out the side of her mouth as she carefully turned the wrench in her hand.

"Either one is fine, Miss M," Robin replied, his fingers flying across the holopad keyboard.

Wally was sitting at the bar, already munching on a banana. "Why not make both?"

"Wally, not everyone eats as much as you do," Zatanna remarked with a shake of her head as she poured herself some juice. "Besides, isn't that like your fourth breakfast already? You ate at home – or so you claim – and you've had a bowl of cereal, a granola bar, and three bananas in the last thirty minutes!" Ignoring the speedster's protests of a high metabolism, the magician turned to her Martian friend. "I say make the blueberries."

M'gann still seemed undecided, weighing the boxes in her hands. "Connor?" she asked, looking at her boyfriend who was watching a static filled tv.

"I don't care," he replied without moving. Wolf lay at his feet, slumbering peacefully.

Still torn, the alien turned to the last member of the team in the common area. "Kaldur, what do you think?"

Kaldur shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever you wish to make will be fine, M'gann."

"Ugh, you people are so indecisive!" Megan lamented, throwing her arms in the air, pancake mixes and all.

"Why are we indecisive?" Heather's voice inquired. She stepped into the kitchen, fluffing her still damp hair from her shower as she went for a mug from the cabinet, intent on getting a cup of coffee.

"Oh good, you can help me decide!" Megan enthused, flying over. She shoved the boxes beneath Heather's nose, making the earthling step back a bit. "Which one?" She inquired desperately.

"Um…" Heather glanced at the box covers and mentally played enie-meanie-miny-moe. "Blueberry?"

M'gann's face broke into a wide grin. "Wonderful!" She exclaimed, finally having received at least two definitive answers she could work with. She began cooking the blueberry pancakes immediately, making Heather and Zatanna have to duck as eggs and milk flew over their heads.

Heather darted out of the kitchen to escape her friend's range and sat beside Aqualad at the table. She wrapped her hands around her mug and took an appreciative sniff of the French roast coffee. Taking a sip, she made a small noise of approval. "It might not be the Moonbeam café, but it's still coffee," she muttered.

Kaldur hears her, but is too distracted to answer. Sitting so close to her, he is acutely aware of two strong scents – the coffee in her cup and cherries, however the cherries were winning the battle for dominance. While he'd never admit it aloud, there was something so tantalizing about the way Heather smelled.

Every person had their own unique aroma that surrounded them, and Kaldur had made it a matter of training to distinguish the smells of his teammates from other scents. You never knew when the information would come in handy.

Robin, who he'd known for years, seemed to always smell of gymnast chalk and a musk that was reminiscent of the streets of Gotham – his two favorite places to be on earth after all were his home city and a gymnasium.

M'gann always smelled of baked goods. Cookies, cake, pies – whatever she'd been cooking that day lingered around her. He was sure that in no time she'd smell of pancake batter, butter, syrup and blueberries.

Connor usually carried around the scent of Wolf's fur and grease from working on Sphere or his bike. Sometimes the odor was mixed with dirt or sweat from battle, but it always came back to the Kryptonian's large white dog or his giant metal robot.

Zatanna wore a light perfume of berries, which mixed with the scent of old magical tomes from her studies. Kaldur could also usually detect the effects of spells around her, but those were more of sensations than smells, usually.

Wally was easy. Food, sweat from running, and occasionally the scent of a chemical he'd been messing with in his home laboratory. Artemis too was simple – the scent of grass and dirt, the bitter smell of the lubricants she used on her bow and arrows and a bit of spicy peppermint.

Heather… she was the most intriguing of all. She always smelled of cherries, coffee, and infants.

He'd concluded that the cherry aroma came from the soap she used. Sitting beside her now, it was stronger than ever and it made his heart flutter. The coffee was a bit trickier – she drank it every morning, yes, and occasionally at night – but sometimes she just came to the cave reeking of it. He'd finally realized that she probably hung around someplace in New York that smelled of coffee; that café she'd just mentioned, perhaps. The scent of a sweet, clean baby was the most puzzling part. It had been bugging him for weeks. Why on earth would she – a young, single, teenage superhero – smell like a baby? Today, he'd finally decided just to ask.

"Heather, may I ask you a personal question?"

She looked over, a slightly surprised but not unpleasant expression on her face. "Of course."

"Why do you always seem to smell of a child?" He asked simply.

Heather appeared puzzled for a moment. A few people in the room – Robin, Zatanna, Wally and Artemis – looked up. M'gann was too engrossed in her cooking to notice. Connor didn't move from his seat on the couch.

"I'm not sure I understand," Heather finally said, shaking her head.

"You smell of," Kaldur paused a moment to try and find the right earth word. "Baby powder and moisturizer. Why?"

"Oh," she replied in comprehension, as if this were a normal question. Perhaps it was for her. "It's from being around my sister. She just turned three. She's not quite potty trained yet, still in diapers. I probably smell like that because of her. I hope it doesn't bother you?" she continued, her brow furrowing in worry.

Kaldur shook his head and smiled. "Not at all. It's a very pleasant odor. I merely could not understand why it lingers around you so much. You must spend a lot of time with your sister."

Heather laughed lightly. "If I didn't, I'd have hell to pay. Besides, I love that kid, even if she is too cute for her own good. She'll be the death of me one day, I just know it," she added with a light laugh.

Kaldur nodded and the rest of the team moved on, the moment already forgotten. This was not so for Kaldur, who silently thought. '_Too cute for her own good'… I wonder if smells could be called 'cute'? It would be very apt._


	5. Training

_Hey guys, sorry it's been a while. This one took forever to write, and I'm still not sure I like it much. Oh well. As per the request of here is a sort of 'actiony' scene for you :) Enjoy…_

**New Spider in Town**

**5) Training**

"Alright, listen up," Black Canary said sharply, getting the whole team's attention. "This is Black Widow's first day of training. We need to know where her strengths and weaknesses lie, so she'll fight each of you individually. Powers or weapons are allowed – I wanna see just how tough she is."

Black Widow smirked at that, making the older woman crack a half smile before she grew serious again. "Superboy, you're up first. Don't go easy on her," Black Canary ordered as everyone else filed off the training platform.

Black Widow and Superboy turned to each other and dropped into defensive positions. They began circling each other for a few moments, Heather carefully cataloging in her head all of Superboy's powers and weaknesses, Connor merely waiting for an opening.

Superboy charged first with a loud battle cry, attempting to grab the Arachnid around the waist and take her to the ground. Black Widow used a deft handspring to the right to avoid the attack. Superboy turned and growled at seeing his target allude him. He ran at her once more.

This time, Black Widow leapt over him with a tight flip and landed behind the Kryptonian. She gave him a sharp jab with her elbow and then spun the other way when he went to grab her. She sent a roundhouse kick into his side, followed up by a one-two combo. Superboy snarled in irritation and once more went to tackle her.

Black Widow flipped backwards three times and then did a cartwheel once. She came back up with her fists up and ready. She beckoned Superboy cockily with one hand. He ran at her and this time she did nothing to avoid it but met the collision head on, grabbing his large fists in her own.

They fought for a long moment in a battle of strength, but Black Widow could tell she was outmatched. Taking a cue from something her father had told her, she used the clone's strength against him and dropped abruptly to a kneeling position.

With Superboy momentarily off balance, Black Widow used his momentum to her advantage by placing her shoulder beneath his abdomen and flipping him over her. He landed sprawled on his back, the words _Superboy: FAIL_ flashing on the floor next to his head.

"That was fun," Black Widow remarked, panting a little. Superboy grunted in reply and got up.

"Nice work, Heather," Black Canary complimented her. "You knew you weren't strong enough to beat him, so you out maneuvered him and used his larger weight against him. Good job. Miss Martian, you're up next."

"Hey," Heather caught Conner's arm before he left the pad. He looked back expectantly. "No hard feelings, right?" She asked, offering her hand.

Conner considered it for a moment and nodded, grasping her hand lightly, careful of his super strength. "Sure, no hard feelings. But next time," he added in a slightly playful tone, "I'm taking you down."

Heather grinned and released his hand. "You got it big guy." She turned to face her new opponent, a bit more nervous now as Miss Martian levitated in front of her. M'gann was a sweetheart normally, but when she was fighting she could be pretty vicious.

Miss Martian smiled and flipped up her hood. "Good luck," she said and disappeared.

"Begin," Black Canary commanded.

Knowing she would need to rely on her instincts more, Black Widow closed her eyes carefully and opened her spider senses fully, feeling the room around her for signs of danger. She could hear Wally's naturally rapid heartbeat; the soft intake and whoosh of air as Artemis sighed; Robin's fingers as they raced over his holopad wrist computer with soft beeps; Kaldur's steady breathing (she tried not to focus too much on that, wouldn't do to get distracted); and the soft tapping of Conner's foot as he shifted his weight. She could even hear the rustle of Black Canary's jacket as she crossed her arms.

Now the question was where did M'gann go? …There!

Black Widow's eyes snapped open. She did a side cartwheel a split second before the invisible force of telekinesis slammed into the ground where she'd been standing. Even though she couldn't see her, Black Widow's spider senses could make out the bare outline of Miss Martian from where she floated over the holopad. She perceived rather than saw the alien send her another attack and dodged to the side once more using a tuck and roll.

Coming back up in a crouch she shot a webline towards her invisible opponent, managing to catch Miss Martian by surprise. Her head flipped back from her face and she became visible once more.

Hoping to take advantage of the other girl being caught unaware, Black Widow yanked on the line hard to bring Miss Martian to the ground. Evidently though, M'gann either saw this coming or was more prepared than Heather had originally anticipated.

Using her telekinesis, Miss Martian broke the spider web and then placed her fingers to her temples. Unable to avoid the mind attack like she could a physical one, Black Widow was reluctantly yanked into her own subconscious.

Inside her head, Heather looked around cautiously. Being stuck in her mind on a normal basis was weird enough, but inside her subconscious she had no idea what kinds of freaky stuff was likely to be lurking around. Oddly enough, she was on what seemed to be the top of her apartment building in New York. The sun was just rising over the city that never slept, painting the sky a mixture of pale blues and pinks. This was Heather's favorite place to go when she needed to think – she guessed it only made sense for her subconscious to choose it as a background.

"This place is amazing!" Someone said.

Heather looked over in surprise to find M'gann next to her, dressed as Megan. For a moment she had forgotten that this was all in her head. Weird.

"Yeah, it is. This is my favorite place to be," Heather replied, glancing over the edge of the parapet, noting that her mind had even included the line of dish towels her mom usually put out to dry from the kitchen window.

"Mine is the kitchen!" Megan chirped happily.

Heather eyed her warily. "So… isn't this the part where you, I don't know? Turn me into a vegetable? Control my body so I'll fall to the floor? Something?"

Megan laughed. "No silly, I only do that when we're fighting bad guys. In training, I usually find a happy memory in the person's mind and we spend a few minutes talking. That's all, I swear!" She added, holding up her hands in defense of Heather's doubtful look.

"Hasn't Black Canary caught on yet? I mean seriously, won't it seem slightly suspicious if we spend this much time in my head without any fighting?" Heather questioned.

"We can decide who wins here, if you wish," Megan replied comfortably. "I'd rather just talk, though, than fight you. It's more relaxing. So, where is this place anyway?"

Heather looked around the rooftop feeling nostalgic. "This is the roof of my apartment building. I train here sometimes with Spiderman… when, you know, he actually wants to train." She had to fight the urge to roll her eyes.

"Why don't you get along with him?" Megan asked, both curious and sympathetic.

"Where would you like me to start?" the human girl muttered. "He never wanted an apprentice… for that matter he didn't really want a daughter."

"Wait," Megan looked surprised. "Spiderman is your father?"

Heather nodded. "No matter if he wants to admit it or not, yes he's stuck with me. I wasn't even supposed to have powers," her friend gave her an odd look, so she explained. "My dad wasn't born a meta. He got his powers when he was in his late teens from an accident. My parents never even considered the possibility that his genetically altered DNA would affect their kids – that eventually I'd have powers too."

"Eventually?" Megan asked. "Sorry, I'm just not sure I understand. On Mars, powers like telepathy and telekinesis are evident from birth. Even young children can read minds."

Heather smiled gently. "It's not like that here on earth. My powers didn't manifest until about a year ago. When they happened… at first I did nothing. Then I thought, wouldn't it be great to work with Spiderman? To be the next webslinging generation? Dad wasn't happy when he found out and he's still not happy now." She sighed.

"Why?" Megan looked so confused and sad, her empathy for her friend growing every moment.

"I guess…" Heather shrugged uncomfortably. "I guess he worries about me, and isn't sure how to show it. He doesn't think I can handle what we do every day – like he has to protect me, even though I'm just as good as he is. He says it's because he doesn't need a partner, but I know better. He wants me to sit at home like a good girl and be a normal human."

Megan wrinkled her nose. "That doesn't sound like you at all."

Heather cracked a smile. "Finally someone notices. That's why I joined the team – gives me more time in the field, and less time arguing with my Dad. If I can just get him to see me as a real superhero and not just a tagalong kid he has to worry about, maybe then we can finally be partners for real."

"I think that's a great idea!" Megan enthused with a small smile. "Anything I can do to help, just ask."

"Thanks M'gann," Heather replied. She glanced around and noticed that the rooftop was now dark, the stars shining above them dimly – it _was_ New York, after all. "Shouldn't we be getting back?"

"Hello, Megan!" M'gann said, giving her forehead a good knock with the heel of her hand. "Of course we do! Um…" she frowned. "You win, or I win?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

Heather thought it over. "Tie," she finally said.

M'gann smiled, "You got it!"

With that, the world turned white before the two girls were thrown out of Heather's mind and back to the real world. The force of the expulsion sent both of them tumbling to the training mat. The holopad lit up with the words _Black Widow: FAIL… Miss Martian: FAIL_ appearing by the girls' heads.

They got up and shook off the bad landing. Black Canary frowned. "We'll call that a draw. You can try again another time."

Black Widow and Miss Martian winked at each other in a conspiratorial manner before shaking hands. The alien left the holopad and Kid Flash took her place.

"You ready to get your butt whooped?" Kid Flash taunted, already vibrating in anticipation.

Black Widow grinned. "Bring it on, Kid Klutz."

"Engage," Black Canary commanded.

Kid Flash took off like a bullet, running head on for Black Widow, intending on tackling her to the ground. Obviously, he hadn't learned anything from Superboy's attempts to do the same thing. Black Widow waited patiently until Kid Flash was within a few feet, before flipping up and over his head, landing behind him with practiced ease.

"What's the matter, Flash Kid?" Black Widow teased. "Too slow for the webhead?"

Kid Flash slid to a halt and frowned. "It's 'Kid Flash'," he corrected. Then he grinned. "And I'm just getting started baby," he laughed and ran towards her again, pulling back his fist for a punch.

Black Widow barely dodged the fist and rolled to the side, coming back up on her feet. With a sharp jab of her elbow, she caught the speedster in the side, then shot a webline up to the rafters and lifted off the ground. She landed on her feet, and hung suspended from her webline upside down.

"What was that about getting started? I think you're just about finished," she taunted.

Kid Flash grunted angrily. "No fair! I call foul for leaving the holopad!" He looked to Black Canary, seeking support.

The mentor merely shrugged her shoulders. "I said powers were allowed and that includes her webs. End of discussion."

Kid Flash sighed and grumbled about having too many acrobats on the team, making Robin and Black Widow cackle. The rest of Heather's training with Wally went about the same way – they bantered, both got in a few good blows, but in the end Kid Flash managed to catch her off guard enough to send her to the holopad using his superspeed.

_Black Widow: FAILED_, the computer announced in a monotone. Black Widow rolled her eyes behind her reflective lenses. _No duh,_ she thought.

Kid Flash walked over and gave her a hand up, like she'd done for Superboy. "Good show BW, you're not bad," He said, and she could tell he was having a hard time not grinning ear-to-ear like an idiot. She was surprised he wasn't vibrating from excitement.

"Thanks. You gave me a good run for my money," Black Widow replied, smirking, "pun intended. We'll have a rematch later," she promised.

Kid Flash grinned now in anticipation, shaking her hand. "You got it, webby."

Black Widow merely grimaced and held in a sigh. The arachnid jokes did get old sometimes. She fought first Artemis and then Robin next.

Artemis, she found, was definitely good at long range fighting – she _was_ an archer after all – but the blonde could hold her own in hand-to-hand just as well. It was a hard fight and took longer than the others, but finally Black Widow caught an opening. She shot a webline through the other girl's defenses, snagging Artemis' ankle. Black Widow tugged hard, and brought Artemis down on her back, ending the fight. They shook hands and Black Widow could tell by the look on her face that Artemis had a new respect for the spidery girl. That was a plus.

Next was Robin. The younger acrobat smirked cockily from his side of the holopad. "Time for that rematch, BW – ready to get your butt kicked twice?" he asked.

Black Widow merely giggled. "That's what you think Robin. I'm gonna knock you down from your perch, little birdy. Happy landing!"

"Begin," Black Canary said, suppressing a smile of anticipation. She could feel the excitement rolling off the team – both Robin and Black Widow were good acrobats, but with entirely different backgrounds and mentors. The outcome of this fight would be interesting to say the least.

Black Widow and Robin circled each other carefully to begin with, neither wanting to be the first to jump into the fight. Underestimating your opponent – they knew – was never a feasible option. As it turned out, they rushed into the fight at the same time.

Robin ran and leapt into the air, intending a roundhouse kick. Black Widow saw this coming with her senses, and went low, tucking herself into a summersault that she used to roll under Robin's kick. Robin landed in a crouch and turned just as Black Widow came back up from her roll and they squared off again.

Black Widow could see the calculating look on Robin's face, obviously reevaluating just how receptive her spider sense was. She too was reassessing how flexible, fast and smart Robin was. Fighting with him as an opponent, as it turns out, was very different than fighting with him as an ally against someone else.

Robin apparently decided to make the first move this time and used his grappling hook to swing up to the rafters. Wary, and not wanting to be at a disadvantage on the lower ground, Black Widow shot a webline and pulled herself up as well.

In the maze of rafters, they both knew that Robin had more of an advantage. While Black Widow's costume wasn't as colorful as Spiderman's, she still wasn't the master of stealth that was The Boy Wonder. Taking note of that, she closed her eyes and relied entirely on her spider senses. She knew that while she could see some things in the dark, details weren't as sharp as in the light. Vision would just distract her at this point, something she couldn't afford.

Robin leapt and summersaulted from one rafter to the next, circling Black Widow to try to confuse her. He let his eerie 'ninja cackle' trail behind him, as much wanting to freak his friend out as just having a great time. He had always felt more at home off the ground than on it.

Black Widow carefully tracked Robin's progress with her sixth sense. He was making an ever tightening circle around her. No doubt, had she been using her sight alone, she would have been getting more and more confused by his laughter that seemed to come from everywhere at once. As it was, she was fairing only a bit better at knowing where her friend was.

She conjectured that his plan was most likely to come up behind her and either tackle her to the ground or just scare her enough to fall back to the holopad on her own. Deciding to be ready for either outcome, she tensed her muscles into a crouch and waited.

Robin landed on the rafter just two yards away from his friendly opponent, desperately holding in a snicker of excitement. This was too easy. She hadn't even moved the whole time! He backed up a half step to the edge of the metal beam and took a flying leap towards her, tucking into a quadruple summersault to keep his momentum going.

Robin landed on Black Widow's back, like an overeager toddler wanting a piggyback ride. Having braced herself, she was able to sustain the blow and keep her balance. She considered just throwing the younger boy off of her, but then another idea came to her and she grinned.

"Get ready for a ride, Robin," she told him, and grabbed his wrists before he could let go.

"What are you doing?" He asked and tried to wiggle his arms free.

Without answering, she rocked forward off the beam and let gravity take over. The two fell towards the mat below which was – fortunately – somewhat insulated. However, Black Widow and Robin both knew it wasn't _that_ padded and with their combined weight and speed, they would be breaking a few bones unless they landed right.

Black Widow released Robin and moved away from the smaller teen, sending a web up to a pillar that slowed her fall. When she was close enough to the ground, she let go and rolled across the holopad to her feet.

Robin summersaulted several times before rolling into a crouch. "Were you trying to kill us?" He asked sourly.

"Merely trying to give Black Canary a heart attack," she replied grinning. "Did it work?" she asked their mentor.

Black Canary didn't look particularly amused. "Nice landings, but next time fewer high dive stunts. If you guys get injured in training I'll have to deal with a mountain of paperwork, and you wouldn't like me after a few hours of questionnaires. You're still in session, by the way." She added, effectively dismissing them to go back to their duel.

Black Widow and Robin faced each other again, and this time decided to go for some hand to hand combat instead of acrobatics. This took a little while to end. There was a lot of dodging, sliding and leaping (Robin) and a lot of efforts to trip the opponent with web fibers (Black Widow). In the end, Robin and Black Widow managed to trip each other at the same time.

_Robin: FAIL, Black Widow: FAIL,_ the computer announced. Both teens groaned. "Not again," Black Widow muttered.

"Ugh, rematch?" Robin asked, rubbing his side where she'd managed to get a good punch to his kidney.

"Rematch," She agreed, rolling her neck and shoulders from the roundhouse kick he'd gotten to her upper back.

They shook hands and Zatanna was up next. This fight was by far the shortest. Black Widow was sure she could do well if she could just dodge enough, but Zatanna didn't even give her the chance. Not two minutes passed after Black Canary announced they could begin before Zatanna had the arachnid girl bound hand and foot on the holopad.

Black Widow wore a sour expression as Zatanna floated over her, holding in a giggle. "Ha ha, very funny. Now get me out of this, will you? I'm not Houdini you know." Finally letting out the laugh she'd been containing, Zatanna released her friend.

"I think we can officially say that magic beats spiders, no contest," Black Widow remarked as she sat up on her elbows.

Zatanna helped her friend up and smiled. "You did pretty good," she encouraged.

Black Widow held up a gloved hand. "Please, don't try and save my ego or pride, it's a hopeless cause at this point. I'm just glad you're on our side."

Zatanna merely giggled and left the holopad to stand next to Robin, who was still rubbing a few sore spots. Black Widow looked to her last opponent and bit her lip. She _really_ didn't want to fight Kaldur and not just because she was sure he'd beat her in no time flat. She liked him a lot.

He was mature, smart and very wise… plus he was pretty hot. She'd hoped that maybe she'd finally found a guy that wouldn't break her heart. But she'd been both too shy to suggest a relationship with the Atlantian, and disappointed to find that he didn't seem to notice her beyond being a teammate. _Why were the smart ones always the densest ones?_

Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, the choice was taken out of her hands.

"Alright that's enough for today," Black Canary announced. "We'll pick this up again later. For now, go shower and rest up."

Heather tried not to sigh as she pulled off her mask.

"You are disappointed," Kaldur noted, suddenly appearing next to her. "Were you looking forward to fighting with me?" he asked.

Heather felt a blush bloom across her cheeks and was thankful that she had the excuse of the workout she'd just been through. "Oh, no I just ah… wanted to see your water bearers in action?" The statement came out as a weak question. She wanted to kick herself. _Stupid, stupid, stupid. You sound like an idiot._

Kaldur smiled, not unkindly. "Ah, I see. Perhaps another time then?"

She nodded and smiled, trying to cover up her embarrassment. "Sure, sounds great."

He dipped his head in acquiescence, and walked off. Heather let out a long breath watching him go, her smile turning dreamy. What was it about electric tattoos and gills that made a girl go weak in the knees, anyhow?


	6. Confrontations and Coffee

_Hiya :) Welcome back – did you miss the madness? ;) Well, just because I thought something like this was due, here's some nonromantic HeatherxRoy, set after "Insecurities". Enjoy… ;D_

**New Spider in Town**

**6) Confrontations and Coffee**

Heather had been at her best friend's house, Rhi, for the long weekend when Red Arrow had joined Young Justice. She'd heard about it from a very vexed Artemis the day after everything had hit the ceiling. The archer had talked for a few long hours over feeling usurped by Red Arrow's presence, expressed her annoyance over his lack of trust, and frustration and sadness at Wally – frustration for the silent treatment she'd been getting from the speedster, and sadness over letting him down. In the end, Artemis felt a bit better and Heather felt a little closer to her comrade.

Now, a week later, she was back at the Mountain and couldn't help but wonder what the weekend mission would bring. She was sure that tensions would still be high, and could only hope that no arguments would come to blows. Because frankly, she still wasn't sure who's side she'd be on, if any.

Heather stepped into the kitchen and plopped her duffle bag down on the counter with a sigh. It was before six and everyone was still asleep, even M'gann. Heather took a moment to enjoy the silence as she made a pot of coffee.

With her back turned to the door while she measured the scoops of coffee grinds, she didn't hear or see the person approaching, but she did feel them coming. She'd mastered the act of being calm and at ease, while secretly being on her toes at the incoming threat. She hummed serenely under her breath as she added water, all the while tracking the person's progress. When they were within a yard and a half – her personal limit of too close for comfort – she turned abruptly and faced them.

Roy – dressed in workout clothes covered in sweat – took a step back in surprise, imagining that the strange girl puttering around the kitchen hadn't heard him. He'd been nearly silent. Surely there wasn't _another_ hero living here who had super hearing? Superboy was bad enough.

"Hello," Heather said coolly, but not unkindly. She leaned back against the counter, her arms folded comfortably across her chest, her legs crossed at the ankle. This state of calm was of course an act. One of the things her mom had passed on to her was how to appear cool under pressure – there were advantages to having a mother in show business.

"Hi," Roy returned, looking cautious. "Who are you?" He asked bluntly, and Heather had to hide a smirk. One thing was for sure, this guy didn't beat around the bush.

"I'm Heather," she replied, and offered her hand, "also known as Black Widow. You are?"

"Roy. My code name is Red Arrow," he grasped her hand firmly.

"Nice to meet you." She made sure to shake his hand like a real business woman, not how some of the girls in her school did it, using only their finger tips. '_Show them that you know who you are, and that you will always stand your ground,'_ MJ used to tell her. Shockingly (ha ha), it had turned out to be very solid advice. People took her seriously if she showed that she took herself seriously.

Heather turned back to the coffee pot as it beeped. "French Roast?" She asked over her shoulder.

Roy nodded. "Sure." He took a seat at the kitchen island.

"So, you're the pain in the ass Artemis was complaining about," Heather remarked unceremoniously whilst pouring two steaming mugs of java. "Cream and sugar?" She added, as if this were a perfectly normal conversation starter.

Roy lifted his eyebrow. "I wouldn't say I'm a 'pain in the ass' and yeah milk would be great," he said, just as nonchalant.

"What would you say you are?" She pulled the gallon jug from the fridge and placed it on the island in front of him, along with his coffee. She leaned back against the counter and wrapped her hands around the mug, taking a small sip of her cup of straight black coffee.

Roy seemed to consider this for a moment as he eyeballed the amount of milk he poured into his cup, judging it by the color. "Determined and stubborn," he finally said. "I want the job done right the first time."

"Which is to say, it's your way or the highway?" Heather questioned, breathing in the heady scent emanating from her cup.

Roy seemed annoyed as he looked up. "You have been talking to Artemis, haven't you? Or better yet, Ollie's probably been blabbing about our previous relationship."

"Well aren't you paranoid?" Heather remarked sarcastically. She put her cup on the counter and hopped up to sit on the island before picking up her mug once more. "Actually, all Artemis said was you were Green Arrow's previous apprentice – Speedy, I believe was your name? – and that you had a major attitude problem," she shrugged. "Perhaps I'm not the best one to judge, but I think that for once Artemis wasn't taking things too personally. You are kind of a stick in the mud, jerk."

"You don't even know me!" Roy exclaimed, now looking really ticked.

"Forgive me," Heather said, not sounding apologetic at all. "But I tend to make quick work of someone's personality when we first meet. It's a bad habit, or so I'm told, but it's a habit nonetheless and actually it's been helpful in the long run. You see," she added, leaning toward him with a small smirk. "I'm rarely wrong."

Roy snorted and sipped his coffee. It was a delaying tactic, one that Heather knew well, but she didn't point it out to him. There was no point. They both knew he was stalling and why. Because quite simply, she had pretty much hit the nail on the head.

"And what about you?" Roy finally asked.

_Ah,_ she thought, _so he's going to throw this back on me. Surprise, surprise._ "What about me?"

"If you're so good at nitpicking others, then surely you've discovered all of your own idiosyncrasies," Roy shot back, looking smug, as if he'd finally stumped her. Unfortunately he was wrong.

"Oh definitely," She replied easily. "Where do I start? I'm messy, scatterbrained, I think I drool in my sleep, I still get nightmares from horror movies, and I'm pretty sure I that I killed my goldfish in sixth grade that my parents claim was eaten by the cat."

Roy stared at her, blinking uncertainly. "Um… not exactly what I meant," he said uncertainly.

Heather thought about it for a moment. "I'm pretty sure I also have daddy issues, does that count?"

A long moment passed where the two teens merely sat, regarding each other as if they were playing an invisible game of chess. Both had checks – the only question now was who would make checkmate.

Finally, Roy sighed and shook his head. He stood from his stool, coffee in hand and walked towards the door, intent on getting a shower and fresh clothes. "As if we needed another weirdo in this group…" he muttered.

Heather heard and, smirking into her coffee, replied, "At least you know you're in friendly company." She felt, rather than saw, Roy pause for a moment before he shook his head again and kept walking.

She chuckled quietly. _Checkmate._


	7. Long Time No See

_Hey guys, been a while I know :) Sorry about that. Finals are this week and I'm going out of my mind from all the studying :p I'd actually been working on a different one-shot than this one, but after seeing the first episode of season two, this idea just kind of came to me and I had to get it out. This is set in the same year as season two, but not to worry, I'll be going back to 2012 soon enough. Hope you like it, enjoy…_

**New Spider in Town**

**7) Long Time No See**

**August 23, 2016, 10:09pm…**

Heather crouched in the darkness, concealed in the shadows of a large gargoyle a top Wayne Enterprises, watching the pulse of the nightlife of Gotham. It had been years since she'd been here, but the city remained relatively the same. Dark, shadowy, and still with a layer of smog hanging over it, turning the night sky red.

_Even with the new pollution laws in place and the more environmentally friendly technologies, Gotham is still as hazy as its reputation_, Heather mused, looking up at the orange tinted moon, though it wasn't anywhere near a harvest. _At least some things never change…_

Behind her, she suddenly heard the muted, dull thud of boots on asphalt. _Speaking of which,_ she smirked to herself. "I was wondering when you would show up," she said aloud, remaining in her kneeling position.

"You're standing on Wayne Enterprises' corporate headquarters," the other person pointed out bluntly. "You might as well have sent up the batsignal."

Chuckling now, Heather stood and turned to face the young man silhouetted in the shadows. "It's been a long time, Robin," she said simply.

"It's not Robin anymore, Heather," Richard Grayson finally emerged from the darkness, revealing his tight black body suit, a blue bird emblazoned across the chest. "It's Nightwing."

Heather placed a hand on her hip, surveying him critically. "Nightwing… I like it. It's – dark, mysterious. A good fit for you, Dick. Looks like you finally hit that delayed growth spurt you'd blabbed about for years."

He smirked. "Hey, I couldn't stay a skinny, thirteen year old kid forever. And look at you," he gestured at her new costume, "Not a sidekick anymore, are you?"

"No, not anymore." She stepped into the light from the logo of Wayne Enterprises. While the light was relatively faint, it was enough to show how vastly different her new costume was from her Black Widow identity.

Her look now consisted of a one shouldered black leotard, a red utility belt hung around her supple curvy hips, and thigh high black leather boots shined glossy and slick in the light. A hooded blood red cape hung from her shoulders to her ankles, black leather elbow length gloves and a red domino mask completed her outfit, and transformed her from Heather Parker to Fang, one of New York's many Meta vigilantes.

"I haven't been a sidekick in a long time…" She sighed and crossed her arms, shrugging. "Couldn't take orders from someone else anymore, it was time for me to make my own way in the superhero biz. Don't get me wrong," she added. "I miss being by Spiderman's side sometimes, but we both work better alone. Plus, there's less fighting at the Sunday dinner table this way, and that always makes my Mom happier," she smiled wryly.

The former Robin laughed slightly. "It would be a shame to spoil one of MJ's amazing dinners," he agreed.

"You know," he said after a moment, "We could use you back at Mount Justice. The new recruits need all the mentors they can get. You'd be a great teacher and a good influence, like you've always been," he stepped closer and offered his hand. "It'd be like old times," he grinned.

Fang, however, frowned and took a step back, looking away from her old friend and back to the city below them. "You know I can't do that, Dick. I can't go back there to that place in my life. There are too many memories in the Cave… things I'd rather forget."

"Heather," Dick placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, making her look back at his sincere face. "I know it's hard to remember what happened, but you can't let it rule your life."

"It doesn't!" She snapped and flicked his hand away edgily. "I just can't –" she stopped and sighed heavily, staring at her boots. "It's too hard, Dick. Even though he's not there now, I… I just can't."

He dropped his hand back to his side. "I understand. But you should think about it, all the same. We – Conner, M'gann and I – would love to have you back."

Before she could comment a metallic clang rang out, followed by the '_vuuup!' _of a zipline. Both heroes looked to the left to see a figure approaching swiftly by grappling hook to their rooftop. "You expecting someone else for this party?" Nightwing asked.

"Me? No, I thought it might be someone you were waiting for. I know Batman's not in town right now," Fang replied.

He shot her a questioning look, and she waved dismissively. "I might have left Young Justice, but I still have ways of keeping tabs on League missions. You see, I had this friend who was a really great hacker, and he taught me how to create these things called electronic back doors…" she grinned impishly and he shook his head, presumably rolling his eyes.

"Still completely incorrigible," Nightwing said with a chuckle.

"Don't you mean, corrigible?" Fang retorted, laughing. "You will never live down butchering the English language, gypsy boy," she poked his chest playfully.

He grabbed her hand and smiled, "fine, just as long as you remember that _you_ will never live down freaking out over someone touching your records, Miss OCD." He cackled at her scowl.

"They were alphabetized!" She protested irritably, only causing him to cackle even more.

About this time, the figure from the grappling hook had landed on the roof and ran up quickly. He stopped and stared, entering upon the picture of the two friends play arguing, with Fang glowering darkly while Nightwing cackled, still holding her wrist. "Nightwing! What are you doing here?"

Dick looked over and frowned slightly, releasing Heather's hand. "What am _I_ doing here? You know you're not supposed to be out on patrol without Batman," he responded sternly.

Heather raised an eyebrow, though the expression was dulled by her mask. "Who's the runt?" She crossed her arms and slipped her hip out to the side, leaning her weight mostly onto one foot.

The small teenage boy stepped into the light with a glare. "Runt? I'm the right size for my age," He retorted touchily.

Heather took in his costume with slight curiosity and turned to the first Robin. "You got replaced again?" She asked tone surprised and yet a tad quiet, remembering the second young boy to don the identity of Robin. "I thought Batman…"

"We've been over this – it's not replacing," Nightwing cut her off, "merely passing the torch on. The Batman will always need a Robin. This is Tim, Bruce's latest protégé."

"Hey! Nightwing, revealing secret identities is so not cool!" The new Robin protested, stomping up to his adopted older brother with a pointed finger.

"Relax, short stuff," Fang said. "I'm an old friend of Dick's. We go way back." The two exchanged smiles.

Tim groaned. "Please tell me she's not a villain, Nightwing. Batman and Catwoman are bad enough, I don't want to have to deal with you flirt fighting too. It's so not gusting."

Fang cocked another eyebrow. "Gusting? Like, 'disgusting'? You've been giving him lessons, haven't you?" Nightwing smiled like the cat that just swallowed the canary. Then something suddenly clicked, "wait, Batman and Catwoman? I thought that was a rumor!"

Nightwing cackled gleefully. "Oh, it's no rumor. They go out about once a week… although her methods for attracting his attention are pretty unorthodox. She usually steals something and waits for him to find her. Then she puts whatever it is back and its pure radio silence for a couple of hours. He's refused to discuss it, even with me, which only makes me think it's pretty serious."

Fang laughed. "Wow, that's insane. But, I always thought there was something between Bruce and Diana?"

"Wonder Woman and Bats? Not likely," Nightwing replied.

"Learn something every day," she remarked, shaking her head.

Robin looked back and forth between the two young heroes in confusion. "Okay, now I'm totally confused. Who _are_ you?" he demanded.

Heather smiled in a more friendly way this time. "Name's Fang, and no, I'm not a villain. I'm one of the good guys... one of the defenders of New York actually."

"Then what are you doing in Gotham? Batman hates Metas in his city," Robin crossed his arms and tried to employ a batglare, but it wasn't quite as effective as Batman's or even Nightwing's.

Fang smirked and decided to mess with the kid a little. He reminded her a lot of Harry – quick tempered and easy to rile up. "Who says I'm a Meta? Maybe I'm just like you, or Nightwing, or Batman, or even Green Arrow. Ever think of that, short stuff?"

Robin opened his mouth to snap back when Nightwing finally spoke up. "Relax, Tim. Like she said, Fang's a friend. We used to work together a lot when I wore that suit. Batman won't mind… especially because what he doesn't know won't hurt him." He smirked, leaving Robin gaping.

Fang gave her friend a fist bump. "I was hoping you'd say that. Last thing I need is a pissed off Batman breathing down my neck."

"So, why _are_ you here anyway?" Nightwing queried at last.

Immediately, chatty, happy-go-lucky Heather was gone, replaced by a focused and grim Fang. "Right. Last week, Sandman escaped from prison in New York. Spiderman was otherwise occupied, so I took up the hunt. Sandman managed to slip through my fingers and has been lying low ever since. Two nights ago, I got some intel from a reliable source that he was spotted here in Gotham. Owing to previous experiences, I thought it best to contact the resident Bats and Birds of the city to both ask for permission to pursue my target and to request some backup. Interested?"

"You know I'm always up for a challenge," Dick replied breezily. "Besides, I know that without me you'll get lost or captured within fifteen minutes." A teasing note came into his voice, making Heather frown.

"If you'll recall, you were with me when that incident happened," Fang said, adding, "and I do believe you got chewed out just a tad more than I did too. What was the punishment again? Clean the batcave, the giant penny and detail all the batvehicles as well as Bruce's collection of toys? I just got docked a month of patrol time." She smiled sweetly at Nightwing's sour expression.

"Brat," He retorted halfheartedly.

She gave a small bow causing her cape to swish around her with a light rustle, "I try."

"What are you talking about?" Tim questioned, following the quick flowing conversation like a tennis match.

"Nothing," both heroes said at once.

"Anyway," Heather continued, turning with a swish of her cape towards the parapet. "My source said Sandman was spotted around Crime Alley. I want to get this over with quickly, so let's get moving."

"What's taken you so long to catch up with him?" Robin asked, following his brother and the strange young woman, curious despite his annoyance with said woman.

"Not all of us are the wards, or former wards, of billionaires. Some of us have to work for a living," Fang sent a wry look at Nightwing.

"Hey, I live off a policeman's salary now," the former Boy Wonder defended.

Heather rolled her eyes and shot out a webline to a building across the busy street. "Sure Dick. And those little gadgets you're wearing came from the tooth fairy, right? You're still a rich bat-brat, and always will be," she winked and swung off.

The two brothers watched her leave, quiet for a moment.

"You're actually friends with this chick?" Tim finally asked. "She's insane."

Dick cackled. "Yeah she is. But if she wasn't, she wouldn't be Fang." He shot a grappling hook and followed his old friend.

Tim shook his head, muttering to himself. "This is going to be one interesting night."

_A/N: And there it is! What did you think? I know it might not have made a lot of sense, but I'll probably add another one-shot to follow the storyline later on. I hope I got Tim's character right. I know more about Dick than Tim (never watched much of BTAS when it was on the air, except for clips on youtube) so I apologize if he's totally OOC. Let me know how I did, 'kay? B-) See you guys later…_


	8. Meet the Family

_Hey guys, been a while I know, and I apologize. I just finished a wicked finals week and I needed all my concentration on it, so unfortunately you readers had to suffer for it, sorry :sheepishsmile:_

_Anyway, I'm probably insane for doing this, but this next chapter happens in 2012 but several months after "Confrontations and Coffee". You're going to kill me after you read it – I swear, you will – because there will be a lot of questions and a lot of angst going on in this chapter._

_I would wait to put this up until I either A) finish the future story arc (which I've decided will be three chapters long, including what you've already read), or B) finish another one-shot that I was working on which would happen shortly after "Auld Acquaintances" and was inspired by a couple of stories I'm reading now about switching places (it'll be awesome when it's done :D) however since I already have this done, along with the follow up chapter to it, I'm gonna post these – as much to give you guys _something_ as to keep myself from going bonkers._

_Well, after that long and pointless AN let's get on with this chapter, shall we? Ugh, I still think you'll kill me… Dx Just a quick note, for any who might be wondering, Heather is actually eighteen in this chapter – her birthday just passed – in all the chapters that take place before this in the timeline, she's seventeen, so technically that makes her the oldest of the Team, if you don't figure in that M'gann is like 46 or something. Alright, enough of my ramblings! Enjoy…_

**New Spider in Town**

**8) Meet the Family**

Heather tried to keep her heart rate at a normal level as she and Kaldur climbed the stairs of her apartment building. When her Mom insisted on having her new boyfriend over for dinner to meet everyone, at first she'd been ecstatic. Now, not so much. There were so many things that could go wrong!

Kaldur stopped just outside their door and tugged on her hand, catching her attention. "You are nervous," he observed.

Heather could barely hold in a sigh. Sometimes he could see right through her. "Yes, I am. I don't think this was such a good idea."

He tilted his head to the side, his expression puzzled. "You do not wish for me to meet your family?"

She shook her head. "No, it's not like that." She took his other hand in hers, intertwining their fingers as she looked down. "I'm worried about what could happen tonight. I mean, what if my Mom or Aunt May asks really embarrassing questions? Or what if Harry starts eating like a pig? Or what if Audrey pukes in the middle of dinner? Or what if my Dad decides to take you out and drop you from the Empire State Building? Or…"

Kaldur placed a gentle finger on her lips, stemming the flow of questions. "I believe you are overthinking this. You're not being, as Robin would say, very traught. You should have more faith in your family. They love you and I am sure they would not do anything to purposefully embarrass you."

Heather cocked an eyebrow. "Wanna bet?"

Kaldur smiled and kissed her forehead, bringing a smile to her face as well. "Everything will be fine. Your mother and aunt will no doubt have questions, but we have nothing to hide. I am sure that your brother's eating habits cannot be any worse than Kid Flash," that comment made her laugh, encouraging him to continue. "Your sister will probably not regurgitate, and if she does it will not be a problem – I have taken care of King Orin's child before, so I am used to small children. And as for Spiderman," he paused.

Heather looked up her forehead pinched once more with anxiety. "Yes?"

"I respect the man as both a hero and your father. He will be able to see that. I will try not to give him a reason to drop me from a fifty story building, if I can help it. I am looking forward to this, not just because I get to meet your family, but because I will get to spend the night by your side Heather," he pulled her into a hug and she snuggled into his familiar, cool, strong arms, relishing the scent of salt air on his skin.

"Thank you Kaldur," she murmured, putting a shy kiss on his cheek. She pulled back enough to see his face and smiled ruefully, "what would I do without you?"

He thought the question over for a moment. "Given your emotional state a moment ago, die of a panic attack," he guessed with a small grin.

She rolled her eyes. "You've been hanging around Robin and Wally too much."

Kaldur chuckled as they pulled away from their hug and back to just handholding, his thumb rubbing her hand comfortably. They turned to the door and, taking a deep breath, Heather knocked.

It took a moment for it to be opened, the sound of a few voices raised in excitement (Harry and Audrey) or worry (her mother) or reassurance (Aunt May), audible through the wood. Finally though, someone answered. The door swung in to reveal May Parker, a pleased smile on her face.

"Oh Heather, it's so good to see you," she said and pulled her great-niece into a hug.

"Good to see you too, Aunt May," Heather replied warmly, drinking in the scent of roses that always seemed to linger around the older woman.

May withdrew from the hug and stroked her niece's cheek with a careworn hand. Her eyes twinkled as she said, "My dear, you're positively glowing. I don't know what you do all day with your new 'project' outside the city, but it's done wonders. You look happier than I've seen you in a long time."

Heather glanced at Kaldur, noting the pride and love in his gray eyes, and blushed. "Thanks Aunt May."

May turned to the young man standing patiently by her great-niece's side and smiled knowingly. "You must be Kaldur'ahm. Heather's told me so much about you."

Kaldur nodded his head respectfully and gently shook the small woman's hand. "You may call me Kaldur. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Parker. Heather has had nothing but good things to say about you."

"It's wonderful to meet you as well. Please, call me May," Peter's aunt replied warmly. "Everybody does. Now why don't you children come on in? Your mother and I have been cooking up a storm all afternoon," she commented to Heather as they entered the apartment's small kitchen.

The air was filled with delicious scents of cooking, and Heather took an appreciative sniff, trying to discern specific dishes through her memory. There was a hint of tomatoes, as well as melting cheese and spiced meat, which probably meant her mother's famous lasagna. Mixed through that scent was garlic and butter – garlic bread no doubt – as well as the sweet smell of apples, pineapple, nuts and cake – her Aunt's Apple Mess recipe. Heather could already feel her mouth begin to water in anticipation.

"It smells quite pleasant in here," Kaldur commented to her quietly, echoing her thoughts.

"Mmhmm," she murmured in agreement as they reached the kitchen.

Standing in front of the counter tossing a salad stood Mary Jane Parker, humming under her breath. "MJ, dear," May said, putting a hand on the shoulder of her nephew's wife. "They're here."

MJ turned and smiled radiantly. "Hi honey. Welcome to our home, Kaldur, I hope you like pasta." Not even the small smudge of tomato sauce on her cheek or her hair that had been tossed into a messy bun could fool anyone into thinking the woman wasn't beautiful. And her bright personality only added to it.

"Yes, ma'am, I do." Kaldur remembered what Robin and Kid Flash had told him before leaving the cave.

'_Dude, keep in mind, no matter what happens, girls always end up looking just like their mom when they grow up,'_ Wally had stated seriously.

'_Yeah,'_ Robin agreed with a sly smile, _'which means you hit the jackpot, because trust me when I say, Heather's mom is a knockout!'_

Kaldur still wasn't sure what a knockout was, but he had to agree with the Boy Wonder – Mrs. Parker was incredibly gorgeous and it was obvious exactly where Heather got her looks from.

"Hi Mom," Heather said, giving her mother a quick kiss on the cheek before stepping back to Kaldur's side and reclaiming his hand. She pointedly ignored the wink Aunt May and MJ shared. "Where are Harry and Audrey?" she asked, the tone of her voice also asking a question she wasn't in the mood to formulate. _Where's dad?_

Mary Jane proved to be very perceptive – as moms usually are – and replied while putting a homemade raspberry vinegarrette on the salad. "Your brother and sister are in the living room. Your father should be home any minute – I asked told him specifically to be home by six-thirty at the latest."

Heather tried to hold in an eye roll. "Since when is he _ever_ on time?" She muttered, only loud enough for Kaldur who was standing beside her to hear. He squeezed her hand gently, reminding her that he was here for her tonight, no matter what.

"Dinner will be a few more minutes, why don't you two go check on Harry and Audrey?" MJ suggested.

Heather smirked. "You mean make sure he didn't drop her out a window or give her a toy with lots of tiny, choke hazard pieces?" she asked.

MJ sent her a stern look, which was totally spoiled by the tiny smile quirking at the corner of her mouth. "Not funny. Now go on, shoo."

Heather giggled and led Kaldur out of the kitchen, trying to ignore the whispered conversation between her mom and aunt as well as the stares burning into their backs. She knew that if she acknowledged it, she would only get embarrassed and that never ended well. Besides, she promised herself that this night would be perfect. Nothing would spoil the good mood if she could help it.

The couple found Heather's younger siblings on the floor playing with some, thankfully, non-choking sized blocks. Harry looked up first, having heard them come in. He grinned impishly, "Hey, webgirl. Found a new victim to sink your teeth into I see." He chuckled at the look that passed across his sister's face.

"Harry, I would be much obliged if you could kindly act like a normal little boy, possibly even a human being, for the evening. That includes not insulting my boyfriend or myself," she added, crossing her arms.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Ask all you want – not gonna happen. Unless of course, there are certain incentives included in this deal?" he added hopefully.

Heather narrowed her eyes. "Not a chance," she replied flatly.

"Aw come on!" Harry pleaded.

"No." Ignoring Harry's pout, she walked in front of Audrey and waved a hand in front of the toddler's face. The little girl looked up, her face breaking into a giant grin as she launched herself into her big sister's arms.

"Heather!" she screeched, squeezing her brown eyes shut as she hugged with all her might.

Heather rubbed the girl's back before withdrawing from the hug so Audrey could see her. "I've missed you," she said, using American Sign Language at the same time.

Audrey grinned and signed back. "I've missed you more!" She noticed Kaldur's curious stare and asked, "Who's that?"

Heather glanced over her shoulder and smiled before turning back to her three year old sister. "That's Kaldur," she spelled the name out slowly so her sister would understand. "He's my friend."

Audrey smiled shyly. "He looks nice. Will he be my friend too?"

"Of course he will," Heather replied aloud with her signing. She turned and beckoned Kaldur closer until he was kneeling next to her. "Kaldur, this is Audrey, my sister," she said, keeping her mouth clearly visible for Audrey.

Kaldur smiled slightly at the little girl. "It is good to meet you."

Audrey cocked her head to the side, studying the Atlantian's lips carefully. "You talk funny," she said, fingers moving in sync with her words.

Kaldur frowned at looked at Heather. "I did not realize my speech was impaired. Tell me, why do you all keep using those strange gestures?"

Heather hit her head in a 'hello Megan' type way. "Sorry I forgot to tell you. Audrey is deaf."

Kaldur's face contorted in confusion. "What is… _deaf?_"

Harry snorted. "Geez, what planet are you from anyway? It means she can't hear you."

Heather sent her brother a look while Kaldur only frowned. "Should I try speaking louder?" he questioned.

"I'm afraid that wouldn't help," Heather replied before Harry could cut in. "Deafness is a sickness of sorts that some people have here on the surface world," She explained to her boyfriend, watching her sister as Audrey went back to building her block tower. "They're either born with it, develop it, or they get into an accident that causes it. Audrey developed it about a year ago. Her deafness is considered moderately profound – she can't hear a normal conversation, but she can hear louder noises; a train whistle, a loud siren, something like that. She can use American Sign Language, those gestures we were using, and read lips if she needs to."

Kaldur nodded. "Is there not any cure?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Don't get her started on that, you'll be sitting here for hours."

While Heather glared at Harry, Kaldur frowned. "I do not understand what you mean."

"Heather here thinks she can cure deafness," Harry said with a snort. "Yeah right. She can't even keep with Dad saving the city, much less come up with a cure for a condition that's existed for like a million years."

Heather held her temper in tight check, even though she wanted to smack her brother. "What do you know?" She demanded, "You don't even _have _powers!"

"Sure, for now," Harry replied smugly. "But when they show up – which we both know they will – Dad will take me as his apprentice and kick you to the curb."

Before Heather could frame a retort, MJ poked her head into the doorway. "Your father's home and dinner's on the table. Let's eat."

YJxYJxYJ

Dinner was a quiet affair to start out. MJ and Aunt May did most of the talking, with Peter occasionally adding something and Kaldur giving a few comments here and there. Harry was too busy eating to talk, making Kaldur believe the boy had a metabolism as high as Kid Flash. Audrey happily ate in silence as well, though more daintily than her brother. Heather was silent as a stone, picking at her salad and lasagna with a bare minimum of interest in anything said.

"What kept you so late, Peter?" MJ asked now.

Peter Parker, aka Spiderman, shrugged his muscular shoulders. "Where would you like me to start? Four muggings, five armed robberies, and to top it all off, I ran into Sandman when I responded to a break in alarm at Oscorp."

Heather's fork paused halfway to her mouth, her eyes flicking to her dad's face to judge his expression. Tired was the first word that came to mind, followed shortly by frustrated. Judging by that, Sandman had most likely gotten away – whether it was with whatever he'd intended to steal or not was the real question. She started to ask what had happened, but thought better of it and finished her bite.

Harry, as if picking up her train of thought, said excitedly. "Did you get him Dad?"

Peter's mouth lifted at the corners marginally. After all, in his eyes Harry could do no wrong. "Afraid not Sport, he slipped through my fingers. Don't worry though I'm bound to run into him again."

"What did he take?" MJ asked in concern. Her eyes flicked across the table to meet Heather's, wondering why her daughter wasn't more interested in the villain's activities, but the girl looked down at her plate and avoided her gaze.

Peter shook his head. "Some kind of new prototype chemical Oscorp has been developing. The goal was to create a serum which soldiers would inject in their arms that would allow them to link up telepathically, at least for awhile. It was meant to be used in combat when radio silence is necessary. From what I've heard though, the chemical's not stable yet."

"What use would Sandman have for this chemical?" Kaldur asked, in what Heather recognized as his 'leader' voice.

"That's the thing," Peter toyed with his glass of water thoughtfully. "Sandman is usually a bank robber type of villain, not a bioweapon guy. He'd have no use for it. Sometimes he's offered his services for hire though, so maybe someone paid him to steal it, which inclines me to think Kingpin or Tombstone is behind this. Still…" he sighed. "It doesn't quite fit."

"Maybe it's not Kingpin or Tombstone at all," Heather remarked without thinking. "Chemicals and bioweapons have been disappearing in greater quantities all over the world recently. This could be a part of that, and if it is, then it could quite possibly affect more than just New York." She stopped and looked up blushing when she realized everyone was staring at her, except Audrey or Aunt May.

Harry spoke first. "That's stupid," he objected immediately. "Why would Sandman be stealing all that? He's a small time hood with an extra boost, not a 'take-over-the-world' type."

"Well, I mean, it's not necessarily connected," Heather defended, trying not to blush. "But still it's a pretty big coincidence, don't you think? That all these chemical weapons are being stolen at the same time all over the world? And I mean it's not necessarily that Sandman is trying to take over the world. Like Dad said, maybe he's working for someone. Besides, even he can't be everywhere at once and…"

"Heather," Kaldur put his hand over hers and slowly her word vomit slowed to a halt. "I believe you make a valid point. I noticed the increase myself and asked Batman about it. He said he was aware of the situation, and would keep us informed if we were needed to investigate."

Peter snorted and shook his head.

Heather, who'd just begun to relax at Kaldur's words, bristled immediately. "What's so funny?" She demanded.

Peter shook his head again. "I'm sorry, but sometimes I just can't believe that you kids think you're making any kind of difference. You're just teenagers… sidekicks. You're not real heroes like everyone in the League."

"With all due respect meant, Spiderman," Aqualad replied gravely. "We have been working with our mentors for a great deal of time, and have helped to stop many evil plots against Earth. Some of which we did alone, without the League's help. I believe we have earned the right to call ourselves heroes, just as you have done so for yourself."

Peter held in an eye roll. "Look, Batman may trust you guys to go off and stop a few crimes here and there, and yeah, you've done okay over all, but you're still just kids. Some of you have only been doing this for a little over a year," he looked right at his daughter as he said this.

Heather gripped her glass hard before slamming it down on the table. Jumping to her feet, she sent her chair skidding across the floor until it crashed into the wall behind her. Putting both hands on the table, she leaned towards her father and spat, "I get it, okay! You think we're a joke – that _I'm_ a joke! You think that because I'm younger than you, and not as strong or as fast, that I'm stupid to want to be your successor. That I should just _give up_! Well guess what? Mission accomplished. I'm done being your _sidekick!" _ She yelled.

Taking a deep breath, she continued before anyone could react. "It's become _painfully_ obvious that you don't want me around; that you neither want nor need my help and would rather I just sit at home like a good girl and do nothing. Well you can just forget that! I don't put on a mask and tights because I think it's fun to have you insult me every night. I put them on to protect this city! If you don't want me around, then fine, just fine. You can consider this my resignation, _Daddy_, because I'm done being Spiderman's unwanted apprentice."

Peter seemed to pull himself out of his shock first, and narrowed his eyes while his mouth pulled into a tight line. "Is that so? Giving up already? Well, I'm not surprised. I'll take back those toys I gave you now, seeing as you won't need them."

"Oh but you see, I will need them," Heather smirked at the look on his face. "I'm not going to be your apprentice anymore, but I _am_ going to remain a hero. I'm joining Young Justice full time. At least with them, I know that I'm welcome and making a difference."

"Heather when did you decide this?" MJ asked, her tone shocked and hollow as she watched what little relationship her husband and daughter had unraveling before her very eyes.

"Two weeks ago," Heather replied simply, never taking her gaze from Peter's for a moment. "I've been waiting for the right time to tell you. I guess this was it."

"Well you can just forget it. I won't let you join that team full time," Peter said suddenly, trying to reassert his authority as he stood. "It's too dangerous and you're too new. I'll tell the League that you quit on me. They'll be forced to pull you from the team."

"That's where you're wrong, Dad," she replied, crossing her arms. "Batman and I have already discussed this. He agrees with me and he's the one who gives us missions. He's in charge of Young Justice as a whole, with Kaldur as team leader and Robin as the next in line for that. All of them agreed with me on this decision. You can't stop me."

"I can make sure you never fight crime again young lady," Peter gritted out.

"How?" Heather demanded. "By locking me in my room? Grounding me? I'm eighteen, Peter – I can just move out. There's nothing you can do to stop me."

"Heather? Why are you so mad?" Audrey questioned, her movements were hesitant as tears streamed down her cheeks. She didn't understand. Why was her Daddy so mad? Was Heather leaving? How long would she be gone? She was coming back, wasn't she? Audrey felt so confused and scared.

"Webgirl?" Harry asked quietly, his face pale and frightened. As much as he wanted to be Spiderman's apprentice, as much as he riled her up and claimed he'd be a better sidekick, he didn't want it to come at the cost of losing his sister. She was his best friend. Sure they fought, but who else would come to every one of his soccer games or science fairs? Who would he confide in when he got bullied at school? He couldn't lose her.

"I'm sorry Harry, Audrey," Heather said softly, not looking at either of them. "This is the way it has to be. Until Spiderman swallows his pride and admits that I am as much a superhero as he is, that I'm just as good as he is, this is the way it has to be."

"Heather dear, don't do anything rash," Aunt May entreated quietly, her face suddenly very sad and much older.

"Heather please, reconsider," MJ begged, tears in her eyes. "Don't do this. Don't tear us all apart."

"_He_ did that a long time ago," the younger woman replied coldly. "I'll have all my stuff out in two weeks. If you want to get in touch with me, I'll be staying at the cave." She looked down and blinked back tears. "Come on Kaldur, let's go," she said hoarsely. "We don't want to spoil everyone's evening anymore than we have to."

"Heather, you do not have to –" Kaldur began uncertainly.

"Yes," She cut him off, eyes steeled once more as she stared at her father. "Yes I do."

Peter swallowed and tightened his jaw. "Good riddance."

She glared back. "You have no idea." She spun on her heel and grabbed the handle of the front door. Kaldur got up as well and followed. She paused as a voice cut through her thick wall of anger for a moment, piercing her heart and cutting it in two.

"Heather!" Audrey wailed, now crying in earnest.

"Please don't leave, sis!" Harry called his voice shaky.

"Heather, sweetheart we can work this out," MJ entreated, struggling not to break down.

May placed a hand to her mouth and swallowed. She turned to her nephew, desperate and a little angry, "Do something Peter! Don't let your daughter walk away from us, from you."

Peter clenched his jaw and closed his eyes, "She's already made her decision. I can't stop her."

Heather gritted her teeth and swallowed. He was right, he couldn't stop her and now she knew he wouldn't even try. She flung open the door and left the apartment – and her family – behind.

_A/N 2: Goodness, that was probably the longest chapter I've written yet for this story O.O Well, if you didn't hate it (and I'd be surprised if you didn't), check the next chapter – it'll be the follow up to this one and pretty important to read. Remember, reviews are appreciated but not mandatory ;)_


	9. Aftermath or Endure

_Wow, either you're really bored, or that last chapter wasn't as bad as I thought it would be… I'm gonna go with super bored xD Anyway, here's the follow up to "Meet the Family" – this ended up being ridiculously short compared to MTF, which I think was the longest chapter I've written for this story yet -.-' Ironic how the epilogue is always so short and to the point when the story itself is long and elaborate, isn't it? I mean, why not just make the whole thing straight to the point? It would save a lot of us tons of time on summer reading… just saying. Well, anyway, enjoy…_

**New Spider in Town**

**9) Aftermath or Endure**

Heather's steps were heavy and angry as she left her building and entered the street. Under the glow of the street lights outside, she paused on the stoop and looked around the dark night. She heard Kaldur close the door behind her and stand there, so silently, waiting for what she would do next.

And suddenly, what she'd done hit her harder than any punch or kick she'd gotten. She collapsed onto the second to bottom step and sat in shock for a long moment. She was aware of Kaldur coming to sit beside her, but she couldn't speak, couldn't look at him; she was too wrapped up in the mess her life had just become.

Her insides still boiled in anger but now there was a cold, tingling seeping in and filling every inch of her, from her head to the tips of her fingers and toes. This break had been coming for a long time between herself and her father, but she'd never imagined it going down like this.

She'd thought that they would calmly sit down, alone somewhere, and she'd lay out her reasons for leaving coolly but firmly. She'd imagined her father sitting there nodding, asking a question for clarification here or there. She'd seen it so clearly in her head, how she would finish and they would sit in silence for a minute, before her father would sigh and nod and say it was for the best. She'd nod back and he'd tell her that despite this he was glad to have had her for an apprentice, that he was proud of all she'd become and that they would eventually be able to maybe work together again in the future. The scene would end with them hugging and telling each other that they loved each other and this didn't change that.

Sometimes, despite our best intentions, life just doesn't work out that way. Sometimes, it's not just like in the movies. Sometimes, life simply sucks. And just like that, the anger was gone and the wall she'd carefully constructed to keep all the hurt and sadness at bay crumbled.

Tears pricked Heather's eyes and she sobbed once, twice. She placed her hands over her face, horrified of what she'd just done and terrified because she didn't have the slightest clue what came next. Where did she go from here? The tears flowed now, hot and heavy, gushing out so fast and quick she felt like maybe they'd never stop, and she sobbed again.

Suddenly, she became aware of an arm around her shoulders and another one brushing her hair back from her face. She looked up through the wall of water in her eyes and blinked to see Kaldur giving her that intense, piercing gaze – the one that saw everything without having to ask. His gray eyes regarded her sadly, somehow perfectly knowing what she was going through. He took the pad of his thumb and wiped a tear that had lingered on her cheek, cupping her jaw tenderly.

This set off another round of sobbing and she leaned forward, burying herself into his strong chest. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as her form shook. He gently stroked her auburn hair and murmured an Atlantian lullaby, one his mother used to sing to him as a child, into her ear softly, soothingly.

They sat there for a long time.

Around them, lights turned on or flicked off in various apartment windows as people either began nightly activities or ended their day. The sky overhead grew darker and darker, the blackness tinted yellow from all the lights of the city, the stars invisible. The street lamps flickered and buzzed, the moths flying around it casting strange flying shadows on the sidewalk, like a silent ballet. A few cars drove past, slow and quiet, like ghosts, their lights dimmed so as not to disturb the tiny neighborhood.

Once, Kaldur felt eyes watching him and looked up, catching sight of Harry and Audrey pressed against a window above them on the third floor. He frowned sadly, glancing down to the girl pressed against him, before staring up once more. Audrey appeared to be crying again, but Harry's expression was grim and silent. He gave the Atlantian a look – one that Kaldur could discern even from three stories away – and it was clear: '_Take care of my sister'._ Then, Harry pulled the curtains closed and the light went out.

Eventually, Heather's breathing returned to normal and her tears dried up. She looked up at Kaldur's face, her own now red and pinched and tired… so very tired. "What do I do now?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.

Kaldur pressed his lips to her forehead. "You will endure, as you always do," he murmured against her clammy skin. "And I promise you, I will be here by your side the whole way. It will not be easy, but you will have me and the team and the league to help you and guide you. You are not alone, Heather. You will never be truly alone. You will endure, I promise."

Heather let out a shaky breath. "I will endure," she whispered back, trying to believe it. "I will endure."


	10. Get Out and Goodbye

_Hey guys :) I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. It was pretty dark, I admit and if you didn't cry even a little (or at least feel a tug on your heartstrings) then you might want to get that looked at ;) Anyway, this next one is pretty angsty as well (I seem to be stuck on that, maybe it's my suppressed frustrations leaking out?) but it has a happier ending. This takes places two years after "Agendas" and a year after "Auld Acquaintances". A lot has happened between Kaldur and Heather in that time. This is right after whenever Tula's death happened in the show (I'm totally fudging the timeline here, so bear with me if I'm completely off and remember that this is an AU story). Hope you enjoy it and even if you don't, drop a line in a review please. I'll take praise, critiques and suggestions for one-shot ideas, just no flames B-) Enjoy…_

**New Spider in Town** _(Btw, anyone have a suggestion for a new title? This one kind of sucks… :P)_

**Get Out **and **Goodbye**

Kaldur snuck back into the cave quietly, intent on grabbing just a few things from his room, and then he'd be gone. He had to get out of there. He couldn't stand it anymore! First his breakup with Heather, then Tula's death, and now learning about the lies Aquaman had told him – it was all too much. He had to leave and get away from all these backstabbers.

The lights were all either off or dimmed in the mountain. The others were all gone – a mission or personal business no doubt. He didn't even think Red Tornado was around, and that was just as well. He knew they hated him now, and frankly, the feeling was mutual.

Leaving the light off in his room, he grabbed a handful of items from a shelf, stuffing them into a bag. He went around and picked out things he wanted quickly, not wanting to waste time. He got to his bedside table and paused.

Sitting on the table, angled so it just caught the light slanting in from the hall was a picture in a brown frame. Heart hammering, he picked up the frame and studied the image. Smiling at the camera, he and Heather stood together at her senior prom. She'd looked gorgeous that night, with her hair pulled up into a French twist and a twilight blue dress on that matched her eyes. The dress had been her aunts, and the classic fifties style looked stunning on her, accentuating her heart shaped face and delicate features.

That had been one of the best nights of his life, but he could recall, even now, how while he'd loved her so much there was always a part of him that longed for Tula.

The light suddenly clicked on, snapping the Atlantian from his thoughts. He turned to find Heather herself outlined in the doorway. Her arms were crossed tightly and her face wore a dark scowl. Such a contrast from the normally cheerful smile she wore, that it almost made Kaldur regret his decision to leave. Almost.

"I can't believe you had the guts to come back here," Heather said in a disturbingly dark voice. "After what you did," she shook her head. "I'll give you this, you've got more of a backbone than I ever thought possible."

"After what _I _did?" He returned with a sneer, clutching the photo so tightly that the glass threatened to break. "You let Tula die! Aquaman lied to me! You fell in love with someone else – even after all I did for you when you and Spiderman separated. All of you betrayed me!"

"You betrayed yourself Kal!" Heather yelled. "Tula's death was a tragedy, but it was an accident, nothing could have been done to prevent it," she continued quietly, her fisted hands shaking. "You're the one who couldn't deal with it. And we both know that you were still in love with her, long before I met Kurt."

"That's not true!" the former Aqualad shouted. "I loved you!"

"No, you didn't!" Black Widow screamed, "You felt sorry for me. I was just something to play with – a fun amusement, while all the time it was Tula that you wanted. I thought you were different from the others. I thought – stupidly – that you loved me for me, when the truth is you couldn't love me. When I realized that, I knew it was over. That's why I dumped you – not because of your father, not because of Kurt, but because you could never love me like I deserved."

She took a deep, shuddering breath. "It doesn't matter now. You chose your own path and now you have to follow it."

With a growl of anger, Kaldur threw the photo at the doorframe. It just missed Heather's head because of her quick reflexes. The glass and wood shattered and splintered on impact, the photograph tearing down the middle, right between the once happy couple.

Heather looked up, breathing a little heavier. She narrowed her eyes at the Atlantian standing over her, his water bearers raised above his head. "Go ahead. You've already broken my heart once – why not do it permanently this time?" She gritted out.

Kaldur's mouth twisted into a scowl, and with an angry battle cry brought his weapons smashing down onto the floor where Heather had previously been. From her spot hanging on the wall, Heather's once angry face was now cold and distant, her eyes expressionless.

She'd believed that maybe he wouldn't do it, that maybe he'd come to his senses and realize how stupid he was being. She'd been wrong. Kaldur had changed. The last nail had been driven into the coffin of their friendship.

Before Kaldur realized what had happened, Heather had leapt off the wall and pinned him down on the floor, his water bearers kicked out of his reach.

Wearing a fierce glare that would put even Batman to shame, she leaned down into his face and whispered. "I've already called the League. I should just wait here until they arrive and watch them cart you off, or better yet, I should take care of your sorry ass myself. Nothing would give me greater pleasure right now than to _knock. Your. Head. In_!"

Kaldur squirmed beneath her, glaring at her angrily.

Heather narrowed her icy blue eyes. "But I'm not going to do either," she told him quietly. "Instead, I'm giving you one chance. After all the times you've saved me, I'm letting you pass this once. I want you to get your crap and get out of here. Go as fast and as far from this place as you can! I never want to see you again, never want to hear from you again. If I ever see your face around Mount Justice or any of the Team, I won't hold back. I will be absolutely _merciless_." Unable to resist anymore, she slapped him hard across the face once, before flipping backwards to stand up.

Face as hard as stone, she watched him stand up slowly. "Get out now, while you still can," she intoned quietly, "or I might just change my mind."

Glaring with palpable hatred, Kaldur'ahm grabbed the bag he'd dropped and slung it over his shoulder. He gathered his water bearers and placed them back into their proper place on his back. He turned to look at his former girlfriend, his once friend. The hurt in her eyes stung at his heart, but he knew she would follow up on her threat by the hatred twisting her mouth. Heather never broke a promise, he knew that first hand.

Kaldur turned and left Mount Justice by way of the beach, Black Widow following only a few paces behind the entire way. At the shoreline, he paused and looked back one last time. "Goodbye… Black Widow," He couldn't bring himself to use her real name. They weren't friends anymore, and they certainly weren't lovers.

"Goodbye, Kaldur'ahm," Heather replied stiffly. "Remember what I said."

He nodded once and dived into the waves, disappearing from sight. Heather watched the sunset slowly over the horizon, realizing that the sun had set too on a once beautiful friendship. Swallowing, she closed her eyes as tears gathered, wrapping her arms around herself. Behind her, her spider sense picked up various members of the Team and the League approaching. Robin got to her first.

"Heather! What happened? Where's Kaldur?" he asked quickly, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

She shook her head, staring at the waves that lapped at her feet. "He's gone. I tried to stop him, but I couldn't," her voice was hollow, even to her. "I don't know where's he gone, but he's not coming back." _I made sure of it,_ she continued silently.

Before anyone else could pile questions on her, she turned and left the beach, ignoring the stares boring into her back. Right now, she didn't want sympathy or questions. She just wanted to be alone to think. There were many things she needed to consider. Things were changing fast around the mountain, and somewhere inside her, Heather realized she needed change too.

YJxYJxYJ

**Goodbye**

It was a month after Kaldur'ahm quit as Aqualad and dropped off the radar that the Team found themselves assembled in front of the Zeta Beams, about to say goodbye once more. They watched with sad eyes as Heather zipped up the last duffle bag, checking once more that her remaining bags had all her last minute stuff inside and she hadn't forgot anything.

"You don't _have_ to leave, Heather," Robin entreated once more. "We're your friends – we can help you get through this."

"Please don't leave," Zatanna added reminding the young arachnid of the night she'd walked out of her parent's house, the cries of her brother and sister loud in her ears. "What are we going to do without you?"

Heather looked up and gave her friends a sad smile. "I'm sorry everyone, but I have to do this. I can't stay here anymore."

"At least remain on the team," M'gann entreated, teary eyed. "It's one thing for you to get your own place out of the mountain, but why do you have to leave Young Justice?" Conner placed a comforting arm around his girlfriend's shoulders.

Heather stood and put her hands into her pockets. "I know it might not make sense right now, but I need to do this. I need to try and make it on my own. I'm tired of taking orders from someone else, and I'm tired of still being considered a sidekick. The only way I'll ever get real respect as a hero is on my own."

"Oh yeah, like this has nothing to do with Kaldur, whatsoever!" Artemis retorted sharply. She shrugged off Wally's attempt to hold her. She didn't want to cry or be sad – those emotions were too hard to deal with. It was easier to be angry at her friend for leaving them.

Heather's face darkened considerably. "Actually, yes, he _does_ have a big part in this. Everywhere I look in this place, I see him there. I see him when I pour my coffee in the morning. I see him when we train. I see him in my room, sitting on my bed with me listening to my old LPs. I can't even do a damn load of _laundry_ without seeing him there!" She bit her lip to stop the flow of tears.

"You have good memories here too though," Robin said, coming to stand next to her. She looked up, and was still a little surprised to realize that now, after two years Dick was finally at her eyelevel. "Like that time Miss M made peanut brittle that shut Wally up for a whole day it was so sticky."

Wally groaned on cue. "Oh man, I am never touching that stuff again!"

"Maybe it will teach you not to eat twenty pieces in one sitting," Artemis replied with a small smirk, some of her anger waning as she realized what her friend was going through.

"I said I was sorry, and that recipe has gotten a lot better!" Megan defended, blushing sheepishly.

"And what about that time you taught me how to play Kingdom Hearts?" Conner said with a small smile.

Heather smirked slightly. "You still need help to defeat the big bosses, but you're a more worthy opponent than when we started."

"Oh, oh! And our slumber party! That was the best," Zatanna added, then frowned. "Although the Twister we could have done without."

Heather, Artemis and M'gann all shuddered at once. "No Twister," Artemis pronounced solemnly and the girls nodded.

"O-okay," Robin said, looking confused. "No idea what any of that means, but you see what I'm saying, right? You have so much fun with us, and we work as a team so well! We can't do it without you."

Heather sighed. "I _do_ have fun with you guys, and no one could ask for better friends, but," she glanced towards the Zeta Beam regretfully, "I need to do this. For me. Not for anyone else, but for me. I'm ready to find out who I really am, without living in the shadow of Spiderman or the League."

She turned back to her friends and smiled softly, "I'll miss you guys, so much. You all have to come and visit me in New York whenever you can. And I'll keep in touch, so don't worry, I won't forget you," she looked at each of them in turn, "any of you."

Robin smiled too, sadly but with understanding and support. "We won't forget you either."

"No way," Wally added and Artemis nodded.

"Oh, group hug!" M'gann all but shouted, throwing her arms around the other auburn haired girl. The others followed suit. Even Superboy gathered all of the Team into his large arms.

Heather grinned. "I love you guys. If you ever need me, I'm only a text or email away, I promise."

"Same here," Zatanna agreed.

Reluctantly, the group broke apart, and Heather picked up her last three bags. She turned towards the Zeta Beam and let the computer scan her. _Recognized. Black Widow, B09. _"Oh god," Heather said with a chuckle, "I think I'm even going to miss the stupid computer!"

The others chuckled.

Heather turned one last time to look at her friends, receiving smiles and nods from each one. Lastly she came to Dick, who smirked. "Stay traught, and remember not to sweat the asters, just the disasters."

She rolled her eyes and grinned. "Heavy on the 'dis'," she replied. Turning back to the portal, she stepped into the light and out of her old life. Black Widow was gone for good. She wasn't sure what came next, but she knew that whatever life threw at her, she'd be ready and waiting.

_AN: So, what did you think? Horrible? Probably :rolleyes: The way I figure it, the latest episodes seem to indicate that first Tula died, then Aquaman told Aqualad that his dad was Black Mantra (anyone else notice how many friggin heroes/villains have names with colors in them? It's ridiculous) and then somehow or another Kaldur betrayed the team or quit or whatever. Details at this point aren't completely necessary._

_If you've read the comics, then you know what happened really and can set me straight or just be happy in your own head that you know. If you don't know – like me – exactly what happened, then we'll just let sleeping dogs lie. I might eventually write a chapter on what I think happened, but it's not very likely, so don't hold your breath._

_On another note, the future story arc will finished eventually. I'm working on part two right now, but I'm in the middle of a fight scene and really blocking on it. Every time I go to write it, I get exasperated or bored so I work on other one-shot ideas like this one, or some other one. They will be done eventually though, so hang tight please._

_Oh and before I go, I just have this to say __**(Note: don't read if you haven't seen the latest episode)**__: YAY! Artemis is neither dead nor a bad guy and Spitfire is still alive and well! :D WA-HOO! Also, I'm sorry that real Roy hasn't been found yet, but at least clone Roy has Lian now, so maybe he'll get his life straightened out again :) I'm starting to actually enjoy season two, and I can't wait for this week's epi! :D Alright, now that this monstrosity of an author's note is done, I'll leave you all alone B-) Review please!_


	11. One Year

_So, I'm back. Sorry for the long wait, I've been blocking for awhile on writing anything. Which brings me to an important point: I have a poll up on my profile right now guys and you have to vote because it affects this story._

_I'm stuck between four chapters that I could write next. One of them is already done, the others are partially written, but I can't decide what to put up next. Please, please, please vote to pick the next chapter for me to write. You can vote for up to two, and there are descriptions and titles to go along with each._

_Also, I need ideas for a new name for this story overall. If you've got an idea, even if it's stupid, send it in – I might like it and if I do I'll put it into a poll on my profile for others to vote on it :) Thanks guys. Hope you like this next one, it features a member of the Batfamily that some of you might have been missing, with lots of fluffy goodness ;) Enjoy…_

**New Spider in Town**

**11) One Year**

One Year. It had been one year since Batman and the five other original League members had left earth on their trip to the alien planet. Neither the rest of the League nor Young Justice had heard a word from the superheroes – and frankly they were worried. They'd just barely managed to keep the media off the scent of the missing heroes and that in itself was an accomplishment. That didn't change the fact that the ones in the know were beyond concerned for their friends, mentors and allies. And no one was more troubled than the Batman's young protégés and his former partner.

Which was why Heather wasn't overly surprised when she received a call from Dick late one night on her secure line. As the phone rang, the redhead opened her eyes blearily and yawned. She flipped over towards the phone, groaning at the time on her clock – 3:45am – but picked it up obligingly and answered.

"H'llo?" she slurred, her eyes already starting to drift closed once more.

"Heather?"

That got her awake quickly. She sat up and rubbed her face. "Dick? What is it?" She yawned again, "What's wrong?"

"Um," the former boy wonder hesitated. "It's kind of complicated."

A heartbeat passed in silence. Now Heather was seriously worried. Since when was Nightwing quiet? "How complicated?" She ventured. "Like, end of the world complicated? It's not Bruce is it? Have you heard from him?"

Dick sighed. "God I wish that was it. He'd know what to do… geez, this is _so_ not asterous," the rest was muttered mostly to himself.

"Dick, calm down okay? Just tell me what's wrong," Fang commanded firmly.

There was another pause, then, "Can you come over here? To the manor? I know it's really late and short notice and I'm being super vague and this is nuts, but –" she cut him off then.

"I'll take the zeta and I'll be there in ten, maybe fifteen minutes tops," Heather replied swiftly, already throwing off the covers and standing up.

The relief in Nightwing's voice was clearly evident. "Heather you are the greatest. Thank you so, so much!" There was a noise in the background, like someone arguing, and he added, "Please hurry!" _Click._

Heather stared at the phone in her hand for a moment and shook her head. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she knew one thing. She had to get to Wayne manor stat. Deciding to play it safe, she opened the secret compartment in the wall that held her costume and started pulling it on quickly. Adjusting her hood and domino mask, she left her apartment through a back stairway that hadn't been used in years, and swung off towards the nearest zeta beam.

YJxYJxYJ

When she arrived in Gotham, it was pouring rain and darker than usual due to the moon being behind the clouds. She looked around the darkened streets, thankful that no one was out in this sort of weather, not even any bums.

With Nightwing occasionally filling in as Batman while the original had been MIA, Gothamites had fortunately been unaware of their protector's absence. Eventually, if Batman wasn't back soon, they would figure it out and once that happened, all hell would break loose. She shuddered to think of the chaos the Arkham villains would cause after learning the big bad Bat was out of the picture, and vowed that she would be there to help her old friend if it came down to it.

Shaking off her musings and reminding herself of her objective, she shot a webline and flew off, trying to get used to the lower height of the buildings in this section of the city. The zeta beam site was one that both Robin and Artemis had used for years while working together on Young Justice, and it was pretty far into the slums on the East side of Gotham.

It took her thirteen minutes and twenty-eight seconds to reach the gates of Wayne manor, a personal best for reaching her former teammate's house. Not bothering with the intercom, she flipped over the gate and avoided the sensors around the grounds (which was easy enough given that Dick had told her where each and everyone was) and came to the front door. Fixing her hood and adjusting her gloves, she collected herself and calmly knocked.

Less than two heartbeats later, it was thrown open and Dick's blue eyes were staring into her masked face.

"Thank god," he said, grabbing her arm. "Come on."

Fang allowed herself to be pulled inside, trying to keep her face neutral. "Mind telling me what's going on _now_? You did get me out of bed and all the way here at three, almost four in the freaking morning after all."

Instead of answering, Nightwing continued to drag his friend towards the living room. With his hair more disheveled than normal and his clipped, almost frantic pace, Heather was pretty sure this was what Dick would have called 'untraught'. And first bird of Batman did not _get_ untraught. He was _always_ traught.

Yanking her arm out of his grip, Fang stopped right outside the closed doors to the living room and crossed her arms. "Dick, what's going on?" she demanded firmly.

He turned back and ran both hands through his hair, gripping the dark locks at his neck. "I – I can't explain! You just have to see it for yourself."

She shook her head. "Not good enough Grayson. I want an answer and I want it now." She employed her best glare, reserved only for her archrivals or when her siblings were causing serious mischief.

Dick sighed and let his hands drop to his sides. Silently, he reached over and pushed open the door. He gestured towards the inside in a 'take a look' manner. Rolling her eyes behind her mask in irritation, Fang stepped through the doorway and gave the room a visual sweep.

The first thing she noted was Tim and Babs, in civvies like Dick, talking quietly on one of the sofas, and how they went silent as soon as they saw her. The next thing that registered was that they weren't alone. Standing by one of the bookcases with his back turned was a young boy, probably no older than ten. There wasn't much else very telling about him. He had short black hair, was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, and there was a duffle bag by his feet. He seemed to be scanning the book titles along the shelf.

Heather turned back to her long time friend and lifted an eyebrow. "Please tell me you didn't call me here to play babysitter so you and Barbara could go on a date? Because I swear to god Dick, you know I don't do that gig anymore."

"I can assure you, miss, that I do not need a '_babysitter'_," A young voice informed her stiffly. Swiveling her head back to the bookcase, she found the boy hadn't turned around, but he had pulled one of the large dusty tomes from the shelf and was flipping through it.

"Okay," Heather said slowly. "Then who exactly is this kid and why am I here?"

"That's just it," Tim answered, his brow puckered. "We don't know who he is. He's refused to tell us. He said he wants to talk to Bruce and only Bruce."

"And Bruce isn't here," Heather replied, beginning to understand.

"So Dick called you," Barbara spoke up. She bit her lip, "We didn't know who else to call. Most of Bruce's um…" she glanced at the boy uncertainly before continuing, "acquaintances that are, er, aware of his situation are off world right now, and we couldn't call in just anyone."

"Okay," Heather nodded and rubbed her eyes, beginning to feel a headache come on. "Well, in that case, let's get some answers. Yo, kid. Get over here I want to talk with you."

The boy didn't look up from his book. "I will only speak with Bruce Wayne."

Heather, irritated as it was, annoyed that the boy's proper tone reminded her of Kaldur and sleep deprived on top of that, growled slightly. "Bruce isn't here," she gritted out. "I'm the next best thing, _apparently_," she sent a pointed look at the others. "So you're going to answer my questions. And you're going to answer them now."

"No, I won't." The boy replied steadfastly, flipping another page.

Fang narrowed her eyes. Marching over to the boy, she employed a tactic that had proven successful seventy-five percent of the time with her own little brother. Grabbing the boy's ear, she gave it a sharp twist while yanking away the book and putting it back on the shelf.

"Ouch! Let go of me!" The boy demanded in a whine.

"I will only let you go if you answer my questions, and you cut the crap," she replied, motherly steel in her voice. "No sass. Got it?"

"Fine, just let go!" He snapped.

Heather held on for another moment before finally relenting. He rubbed his ear, and looked up at her, appearing highly offended. However, that wasn't all that he appeared to be.

Stifling a gasp, Heather took an involuntary step back. Staring at her through glaring blue eyes was a face she'd seen in photos and, in rare moments, the corners of Bruce Wayne's smiling face. The boy was a dead ringer for the billionaire.

Taking a cleansing breath, she composed herself and knelt down to the boy's eye level. "What's your name?" she asked in a surprisingly relaxed voice.

He glared at her another moment before replying. "My name is Damian Wayne."

Heather heard the others make small noises of disbelief but chose to ignore it for a moment. "How old are you Damian?"

"I'm ten years of age," he said, once more using the formal voice, though it lacked the surliness of before.

She nodded thoughtfully. "What's your mother's name?"

"My mother is Talia Al Ghul," he answered stiffly.

This time, Heather couldn't help the shock as it passed over her face. Turning away from Damian she faced Dick and lifted an eyebrow. "Did you know about this?"

Dick shook his head dumbly. "No way. I mean, I knew _something_ was up between Bruce and Talia, but c'mon I was eight! I had no idea about this."

Barbara also shook her head negatively. "Bruce never said a word about it."

"I have a feeling Bruce didn't know," Tim put in quietly.

Heather turned back to the boy in front of her. "Damian did your mom… I mean, did she ever tell your dad about you?"

Damian shook his head. "Grandfather wanted to keep it a secret. He never wanted Mother to tell Father about me. Grandfather almost made Mother give me up, he said it was an embarrassment that Mother fell in love with the Batman."

Heather swallowed. Okay, so that secret was obviously out of the bag. Then again, she _had_ shown up her in her mask and cape, rather than civvies. Still, the boy had probably known his father's secret identity long before she appeared soaking wet in her Fang costume. She was probably ruining the Parisian rug she was standing on right now from the rain coming off her suit. Which made her wonder…

"Where's Alfred?" Fang asked, noticing for the first time the older man's absence.

"He's on a vacation for the weekend," Dick explained, looking pained and more than a little stressed out.

"Great," she muttered with a groan. "The one time Agent A decides to take a vacation, is when Bruce Wayne's freaking _son_ shows up at the manor's front door!"

"It is a tad inconvenient," Tim said frowning.

"I've answered your questions," Damian said stiffly. "Now I want to see Bruce Wayne."

"Oh boy," Babs muttered, covering her eyes and shaking her head. Tim rubbed his neck and looked away uncomfortably. Dick groaned and plopped his head into his hands.

Fang, foregoing the use of a few choice curse words, instead simply peeled off her mask and flipped back her hood. No reason to keep them on if there was no real superhero emergency. "Unfortunately, Damian, that's not possible," she finally said.

Damian scowled. "What do you mean? This is where Bruce Wayne lives isn't it?"

Heather sighed and took a seat in a comfortable wingback chair. "Damian… look kid, Batman isn't here. He's not even on Earth right now. He's on a secret mission with the League. He's been off world for a year now, and we haven't heard from him or the others."

Seeing the glare hadn't left the boy's face, she added, "Batman is probably fine, as are the others. But space travel takes a lot longer, and communication isn't easy to come by between galaxies. It's not like he can just pick up a cell phone and check in."

Her poor stab at humor was met with stony silence. She blew out a breath, ruffling her bangs. "Where's your mom, Damian? Why aren't you with her?"

Damian glanced down, suddenly looking scared and young. "She said I couldn't stay with her right now. It's dangerous. Grandfather can be unpredictable. She said she wanted me to be safe, so she sent me here because she knew Batman would protect me."

_Oh, why don't you just stab me in the heart, twist the blade and get it over with? _Fang thought. "I'm sorry Damian. Frankly, your timing kind of sucks."

Damian nodded. "I suppose I'll just return home then." He started to pick up his bag.

"Whoa there, baby bat," Heather said quickly, getting up and putting a hand on the boy's arms, taking the bag from him. "You don't have to leave."

Damian frowned. "Father isn't here, and Mother sent me here to be safe with him. If he's not here, then I'll have to go back to her."

"Do you even know where she is?" Batgirl asked gently.

"Of course I do!" He snapped a bit too quickly.

"Do you _really_?" Tim said, his tone soft but persuasive.

Damian looked away. "I could find her." He didn't look nearly as sure of himself as he sounded.

Dick sighed, and spoke for the first time since his initial freak out mode. "Look, kid, you're here now. Just because Bruce isn't right now doesn't mean you have to leave. You can still stay here. That way when Batman gets back, you'll be here to meet him in person."

Damian seemed to consider this for a moment. "I… suppose that would be agreeable." He finally said. "However, I have to ask a question."

Heather lifted an eyebrow. "Sure kid, shoot."

"Who _are_ all you people in my Father's house?" The incredulous tone was almost funny, especially when paired with the confusion written on the normally serious-minded young man's face.

It even made Tim snort. "Where do we even begin?" he wondered aloud, looking at Babs and Dick.

Dick smiled slightly, appearing to have finally calmed down. "Well, you already know that your dad is Batman. Ever heard of Robin?"

Damian nodded. "Of course. He's my father's sidekick." Both current and former Boy Wonder scowled.

"I am _so_ not a sidekick!" Tim protested.

"Me neither," Dick agreed.

The girls sniggered. "Damian," Barbara explained, "Dick was the first Robin. Bruce took him in when his parents died and raised him."

"Oh and what a fun time that was," Heather added with a mischievous grin directed at her friend. "I can still hear the flap of a bright yellow cape and the patter of pixie boots!" She cackled at the furious glare Dick threw her. _Still not as scary as Batman_, she thought.

"Me on the other hand," Tim chimed in, "I figured out Robin and Batman's secret identities. And then I kind of made Bruce take me as his _partner_." He added extra emphasis on the word, just in case.

"Kind of?" Dick snorted. "Not how I remember it."

In answer, Tim maturely stuck out his tongue.

Damian watched them for a moment with a blank expression before turning to Barbara expectantly. She smiled, "I'm Batgirl of course. I wanted to fight crime, but Daddy's always been more than a little overprotective, so I secretly joined Batman and Robin. Bruce pegged who I was within a week, but I didn't care since he let me stay on anyway."

Damian nodded. He turned his attention to the other auburn haired girl in the room. "What about you? How do you fit into my Father's life?"

Heather smirked. "I've been friends with Dick for years. We met back when he was Robin, and I was Black Widow. My father, Spiderman, worked a case with Batman and that's how I met the dynamic duo. Later, when I was going solo as Fang," she gestured at her uniform, "I asked Batman to help train me some more, so I could handle anything I came across. In addition to making me an awesome superhero, all the time I spent here gave me VIP access to the manor and the Batcave. Now I come over whenever I feel like it, or like tonight when Dick is freaking out and I have to come and put out the fire. Though I do stick to saving my own city, Batman hates metas in Gotham unless he asks for their help."

Damian processed that for a minute. "So, you live here," he pointed at Dick, "and you live here," he pointed at Tim, "but you two do not?" he asked of the girls.

Dick nodded as did Tim. Babs and Heather shook their heads. "I think you've pretty much got it," Dick agreed. "And you can stay here too. No one's going to make you leave. If you're really Bruce's son – and frankly, you are far too much of a dead ringer not to be – then you have every right to be here. I just don't know how I'm going to explain this to Alfred." He scratched his head.

"Alfred?" Tim snorted. "What about Bruce?"

"Something tells me Alfred will be fine," Barbara said with a smile. "He's had to deal with odder things."

"Yeah, and Bruce will be fine," Heather waved off the boys concerns dismissively. "For love of Janis Joplin, he's the _Batman_!"

The various protégés around the room nodded. "On that," Dick said, "we can agree."

"Alright kid," Heather said briskly, picking up Damian's duffle and tossing it over her shoulder. "It's past four in the morning, far too late for any kid to be up, son of Batman or not. Let's get you settled in a bedroom, so I can go home. I'd like to get some sleep in my own bed before I have to get up for work in," she checked a watch on her utility belt, holding in a moan, "five hours."

Damian frowned at how the young woman was handling his luggage but nodded and followed her. Once they were out of the room, Batgirl, Robin and Nightwing exchanged glances. As if their lives weren't complex enough, now Batman had a kid and he wasn't even on the same planet to see him.

Dick gazed at the portrait over the fireplace of him, Alfred and Bruce that had been done not long after he'd donned the cape. "Bruce, wherever you are, you better as hell, get your ass back on Earth so you can raise your own kid right," he muttered.

"Amen," Tim added.

_AN: Love it, hate it? Please review and please vote people! I'm too indecisive to pick which chapter to focus on next :P And I need those story name ideas, so send those in too! Thanks for reading guys B-)_


	12. Pictures in My Head

_AN: Two updates so close together? I'm on a roll B-)_

_I want to remind you lovely readers that I'm running out of stuff to write that's just fluffy bits. If you want a serious, straight up chapter, you've got to vote on the poll on my profile. So far, "Being Normal Sucks" is in first place with two votes, with "Old Frenemies", "Welcome to My World" and "Three Words, Eight Little Letters" all tied with one vote. For full descriptions, you have to check the poll – and if you're looking at that anyway, you might as well vote, right? ;) ::hint, hint:: Also, send in your ideas for a new name for this story, or if you really like it, tell me in a review. Just give me a response, pretty please B-)_

_So, this is just a little one-shot, sort of bittersweet :) I got this idea while listening to "Pictures in My Head" from _The Muppets_ movie. Enjoy…_

**New Spider in Town**

**12) Pictures in My Head**

_Is there more I could've said? Now they're only pictures in my head…_

Heather sat at her table in her new apartment, a photo album spread in front of her. She sat quietly, thinking about the Team as she turned the pages of her house warming present. Well, more like apartment warming present.

_That's why my glow is feeling gray. Sometimes even heroes have rainy days…_

Outside, soft rain was running down the windows, dimming her mood even more. The first picture in the album was of after the team's first mission together, taken by – of course – M'gann using her telekinesis, in front of a warehouse building they'd managed to collapse.

_Remember when the building caved in while you were knockin' baddies out?_

The next was of an extremely messy kitchen at Mount Justice. Everyone was standing around looking very sticky and slightly surprised, covered in some sort of pie or casserole or custard (Heather couldn't remember which) that M'gann had tried to make. Whatever it was had exploded all over them, due to some miscommunication on the uses of baking powder versus baking soda. Zatanna, who'd been in the other room and thus escaped the food bomb, had taken the picture, laughing the whole time at them. The photograph at least made Heather smile.

_Who'd have thought your smorgasbord would be hard to live without?_

Flipping the page, she laughed at the three pictures spread across the page. One had Megan in her cheerleading uniform next to Conner in front of Happy Harbor high… with about ten girls in the background ogling Superboy. The second was of Wally, Robin and herself playing video games, each looking equally determined to win, Wally was even kicking Heather's leg to throw her off. The third had Artemis, Megan, Zatanna and Heather in their civvies having a girl's day in New York, about to step into a Broadway theater to see "Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street", much to Megan's visible displeasure.

_If we could do it all again, just another chance to bring the bad guys pain…_

The following photos were of training days with Black Canary. There was Robin and Kaldur sparring; Superboy learning to control his strength as he beat the crap out of his tenth punching bag; Artemis using a reluctant Kid Flash as a moving target with dull tipped and trick arrows; M'gann practicing her powers with her uncle; and Zatanna and Black Widow working on missile spells and reflexes.

_Would anybody watch or even care?_

There was a photograph with all the protégés and mentors standing side by side. A stern faced Batman stood with Robin who was smirking madly. A reluctant looking Superman stood beside an uncomfortable Superboy. Miss Martian smiled happily in front of an equally smiling Martian Man-Hunter. Aquaman stood seriously beside a somber Aqualad. Green Arrow had an arm around Artemis. Flash's mischievous grin matched his nephew's, as he and Kid Flash made bunny ears over each other. Last in line were Spiderman and Black Widow – both were stiff and had their arms crossed, staring at the camera like they were facing a firing squad. Heather sighed and turned the page.

_Or did something break we can't repair?_

The next pictures were of everyone practicing their various powers individually. Kaldur manipulating his water bearers and electrifying a target; Kid Flash trying to vibrate through a wall, even as his nose bled; Superboy smashing through various targets; Robin in mid flip, a wingding poised for throwing in his hands (she wasn't sure how someone had gotten it on film, she remembered Robin was like a black and red blur); Zatanna casting spells around the room, turning furniture into flowers and other such useful spells; M'gann lifting heavy equipment with her telekinesis; Heather swinging through an obstacle course, throwing spider orbs at targets.

She snickered at a picture of Artemis aiming at a spot out of the shot – what the camera didn't capture was that Wally had been the target, gagged and tied to a tall pole after he stole something of hers (Heather couldn't even remember what it was). While their stories and personalites were different, Heather had developed a close relationship with the girl archer early on. She hoped that their friendship would stay strong.

_Your archery trajectory, it always gave me hope._

The following picture had Wally and Heather making goofy faces at the camera, their arms around each other's shoulders in a brother-sister fashion. It made Heather giggle to see it now.

_They may have been unbearable but I still loved your jokes._

There was a picture of Kaldur and herself in China Town. Her throat suddenly felt a little tight and her eyes were smarting. It was winter time in New York and they were on their first date. They gone to Rockefeller Center to ice skate, seen a Broadway show (that they'd gotten into for free, courtesy her mom), and had just finished eating at a restaurant in China Town. They looked so happy in the photo. Kaldur's arm was around hers and he was smiling gently, but rather than looking at the camera he was looking at her.

_Is there more I could have said?_

She shut the album, unable to look at the photos anymore. She instead turned to stare out the window, memories flashing through her mind of all the adventures she'd shared with the team. Some were good, some not so much, but they were all important to her. When she'd left the team, she'd known it would be hard to start over all on her own, but it had never occurred to her that she would get lonely.

_Now they're only pictures in my head, _Putting a hand on the glass she sighed and closed her eyes.

_Could we do it all again, make the world safe like we did then?_

Heather couldn't go back to that life. She'd made her choice. A long time ago she had determined that when she made a decision, she would stick with it and never look back. Yet…She sighed.

_We could harmonize for one more fight._

Shaking her head, she turned away from the window and left the album on the table. She had training with Batman in an hour, and it would take a good twenty minutes from the nearest Zeta beam in Gotham to get to Wayne manor. She quickly left the kitchen/living room area to change into her training suit.

On the table, the album's front cover showed a picture of Heather surrounded by her friends and mentors, a cake in front of her with two candles shaped like a one and eight lit atop it. Kaldur had leaned down to kiss her cheek just as the picture was taken, catching the sweet smile and pretty blush that had spread across her face while everyone else looked on with smiles and catcalls. It was the first and last birthday she'd celebrated with her friends while on the team. Somehow, M'gann had known that it was her favorite memory and had placed it on the front of her gift, where she could always see it.

_But I'm standing here instead._

_Now they're only pictures in my head._


	13. Three Words, Eight Little Letters

_AN: Okay, so you guys seem very reluctant to vote on the poll, so how about this: I'll post the chapters with the least votes first, take them off the poll, and you guys can duke it out over the remaining chapters? Sound good? Awesome B-D After so many depressing chapters of betrayal and backstabbing (even though that is the stuff of comic books ;)) I decided, how about something more uplifting? Or just less angsty. Anyway, here it is, the reunion you've been waiting for. Enjoy… B-)_

**New Spider in Town (Seriously, someone help me out with a title here! :-\)**

**13) Three Words, Eight Little Letters**

Peter walked into the Moonbeam Café and glanced around. It didn't take long to spot a flash of red hair, now cut short, or the face that went with it. And the face really just said it all. Heather's blue eyes, so much like her mothers, narrowed as they caught sight of him and her expression was clear, _What the hell are you doing here?_

_Good question,_ Peter thought absently, taking a booth seat where he could watch the foot traffic outside. He sighed and ran a hand through his brown hair. He didn't think he was ready for this. Two years. It had been two years since his daughter had left home, and nine months since she'd left Young Justice. So much had changed.

Soon enough, one of the waitresses, a pretty blonde wearing a contradictory scowl approached and offered to take his order in a thick Brooklyn accent.

"I'll just have a cup of coffee – black. And, uh…" He hesitated, taking a deep breath. "Would you please tell Heather that I'd like to talk with her, when she's not busy?"

The blonde, her name tag said Vicky, pursed her lips. "I'll tell 'er, but I gotta be honest Mista Parker, she ain't gonna be happy to see you." His accent reminded him of Harley Quinn, and he held in a frown of distaste at the idea of the crazed woman. He forced his concentration back to the present.

Peter nodded. "I know. Just tell her. Please?"

Vicky shrugged, "Your funeral Mista Parker." She walked off to check on someone else's meal.

That left Peter alone with his thoughts, which wasn't always a good thing these days. As if things weren't stressful enough with the Bugle, his work at Empire University, being Spiderman and supporting the League, now there was this to work through as well. But he'd promised himself and MJ that he would try. Heather may or may not be ready for this yet either, but he had to at least try to put this whole thing behind them.

He waited an hour and fifteen minutes. He knew this because he kept his eyes either on his watch or the clock over the pick-up window. When he wasn't studying the time slowly move passed, he studied Heather silently as she worked. She seemed to have the whole system down pat, which wasn't necessarily surprising as she'd been working there since she was in high school.

Heather smiled politely at every customer, showing attentiveness to their needs; she was friendly but without being too outgoing or chummy; she knew her orders forwards and backwards and never once got it wrong for even one patron; she knew the regulars and their orders, chatting only a minimum amount before getting their food quickly; and she knew how to interact with the staff. Peter had to say he was impressed by the amount of tips she collected as time wore on – she was clearly popular, as some patrons even asked to be served by her by name.

Peter was on his sixth cup of coffee, and had just about given up hope of talking with his daughter, when she suddenly sat down across from him. He observed silently as she smoothed out her uniform's skirt, ran her fingers through her hair, and placed her folded hands on the table. She stared at her chipped nail polish for a few seconds before taking in a deep breath and looking up.

"Hi," Peter said, smiling weakly.

Heather nodded stiffly. "Hey."

Silence, broken only by the chatter of other patrons and the clink of silverware, lay between them like a bottomless chasm. Heather made a small motion with her head, and suddenly Vicky was there laying an already filled coffee mug onto the table, refilling Peter's, and then she was gone again.

Heather wrapped her hands around the mug, soaking in the warmth before taking a small sip. With her cup poised in midair she asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk," her dad replied simply.

"Are Audrey and Harry okay?" She asked with eyes glued to the dark liquid in her cup.

"They're fine."

"What about Mom? Aunt May?"

"Fine, fine, great really. Your mom is starring in that new play on Broadway, her biggest role yet, and Aunt May's heart is as strong as ever. She's even started teaching piano to kids again."

"Then what do we have to talk about?" There was more bite in the twenty year olds voice than she meant, but in truth she was irritated. The second Cold-War-type of standoff she and her Dad had been in the last couple of years might not have been pleasant, but it was better than the alternative of arguing almost constantly. Why was he trying to upset this already fragile situation?

He winced and looked away for a moment, watching the foot traffic outside. A man with a briefcase stepped off the curb with a cell phone clamped to his ear and hailed a cab. Two women walked down the sidewalk together, talking and laughing, several shopping bags held over their arms. A teenager stopped for the light, his rolled down windows displaying clearly how he was rocking out to his stereo, tapping the wheel, banging his head in time with the beat and generally looking silly. All these people were going about their lives like it was any other day... and to them it was. Peter almost envied them; how they were completely ignorant of the tension brewing just inside the diner.

He wished he could be too.

"Heather… honey, we can't keep this up," Peter finally said, turning back to the situation at hand.

Heather closed her eyes and shook her head a tad, running her fingers through her short hair again. It was a habit she'd picked up recently, that much he could tell. It was almost shocking how brief of a gesture it was, but then her hair _was _very short now. The image itself was still a tad jarring to Peter.

Whenever he pictured his daughter, he still saw her long hair framing her face; in a pony tail, in braids, or just hanging around her heart shaped face. He remembered how she was constantly pulling it back for missions, how it seemed continually in her face no matter what she did. When she'd come to drop off Audrey and Harry a month ago, after spending the day with them, to say the drastic change was surprising would be an understatement. He couldn't quite get used to it.

"Dad," Heather muttered eventually, "what are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to fix this, Heather," Peter insisted, reaching to place his hand over her own. She pulled her elbows off the table and held her mug close, looking away. His hand stopped halfway and dropped to the tabletop. "I'm tired of the fighting, of getting the cold shoulder from you."

She gave him a narrowed death glare, her tone icy. "Welcome to what my life was like for two years."

He grimaced and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know, I know. I realize now that I…"

"That you, what?" the redhead demanded.

Peter sighed ever so softly. "You're so much like your mother it's almost scary," he murmured. Louder, he pleaded, "Heather, I'm sorry. I was an ass. I treated you like a child, when you deserved much better. I was just so worried about you getting hurt that I…" he trailed off again, but this time she didn't press him, instead waiting for the rest.

He continued a moment later, "I was afraid of losing you. You have no idea how many times your mom, or Aunt May, or someone else I care about has been put in danger because of me. I didn't want you to have to look over your shoulder for the rest of your life like I do."

Heather chewed on this silently, staring into her cup. "But it was my choice," she said softly, her voice much kinder than before, though still a bit cool. "It was my choice to take this road. I could have ignored this chance and lived a normal life. I knew that option was always open to me."

Peter nodded. "Yes, I realize that now. I just thought that if I pushed you hard enough, you'd quit and I wouldn't have to worry anymore. So I pushed. And pushed. And pushed. I insulted you, and did everything I could to discourage you. I see now it was the wrong course to take, and I apologize for that, but it seemed right at the time."

This time, Heather looked out the window thoughtfully. "Do you remember, when I was ten, I went on a school field trip to the zoo?" she questioned softly.

He pondered it a moment and nodded. "Yeah, I think I remember, vaguely."

"We were coming over the bridge on the way back," she continued, almost in a daze as the memory washed over her, fresh as ever, "I was sitting in the front so the big kids wouldn't pick on me. Then I looked out the window and saw something much scarier. Hobgoblin, laughing that awful laugh, flew overhead with pumpkin bombs. Spiderman was chasing him, and they started to fight. Hobgoblin got in a good right hook, and while Spiderman was distracted he threw bombs onto the road in front of my bus."

Understanding dawned in Peter's eyes as he more clearly recalled that day. He couldn't recollect exactly what Hobgoblin had stolen from some lab – Stark Enterprises maybe, or perhaps it had been Star Labs – but he remembered the ramifications quite well.

"The bus driver swerved to avoid the bomb and hit the guardrail. Another bomb exploded, and suddenly the whole bus tipped forward as the bridge fell away beneath us," Heather bit her lip. "That was probably the scariest day of my life. Kids were screaming, something was on fire, and acrid smoke burned my lungs… Then suddenly, there you were, helping kids off the bus. I was the only one left. You'd almost gotten me off when a cable snapped and we plunged toward the river." She placed a hand over her mouth, swallowing a sob that rose suddenly in her throat.

This time, when Peter's hand reached across the table it met its target, squeezing her hand comfortingly. He smiled, in that way that she'd always taken as meaning everything was okay, ever since she was a girl. Taking comfort in the expression now, she finished her story.

"You caught me and saved me. When we were back on the bridge, I told you that I didn't care what anyone else thought or said. You'd always be a hero to me…" she took a steadying breath. "When I found out who you were and that I had powers too, the first thing that came to me was, 'with great power, comes great responsibility'. I finally understood what that meant. That's why I wanted to someday take up your mantle, to become your protégé. Not because it was fun, although it has its perks… the toys are amazing."

He chuckled.

She smiled. "I wanted to, because I wanted you to be proud of me. I wanted to carry on the legacy you built, to protect this city like you. That was all I ever wanted."

Peter kissed her hand gently. "Honey, I've always been proud of you. You may be stubborn as a mule sometimes, and we don't always agree, but I am proud. How could I not be? You're my daughter. It doesn't matter if you carry on the legacy or not, just as long as you'll still be my brave little girl."

Tears glistened in the corner of Heather's eyes. "Thanks Dad," she took a shuddering breath. "I'm proud of you too. And not just for the stuff you do in the suit. I'm proud because you're my Dad. I really wouldn't want anyone else as substitute. I'm sorry that I've been so headstrong – I got over being mad at you a long time ago, I just didn't know how to say so."

Peter gave her a rueful smile. "I'm sorry too. I should have realized you could handle anything you set your mind to, you always have. I was never angry, just worried. But I couldn't figure out how to tell you either. I should have tried a long time ago."

"At least we've said it now," Heather offered with a soft smile. "I love you Dad."

"I love you too."

She ran her fingers through her hair again, glancing around the restaurant. She was relieved to see that her friends had covered her tables while she was gone. The diner was nearly empty now, the lunch rush long over. "You want some pie? Leila baked up a couple of fresh blueberry ones this morning."

He nodded. "That sounds great."

_AN: Well, while it got sappy at the end (even for my fluffy tastes) I'm pretty satisfied with this, and I hope you guys are too. When I posted "Meet the Family" a reviewer had asked when Heather and Peter would patch things up, if ever, and I'd said at the time that I wasn't sure, just that it would happen eventually. Well, now it has, so see? I keep my promises… mostly ;) Please review guys, I'd appreciate the support, and please send in ideas for a new name for this story, either in a review or in a PM. I have a poll up on my profile with the current ideas I've been toying with, and if you send in something really good, I'll put it up with the rest of the choices (you'll even get credit for thinking it up B-) :cough: bribe :cough::wink:) Thanks for reading._


	14. Mishaps with Souvenirs

_As you've probably guessed, this isn't the chapter I've been meaning to put up, called "Welcome to My World". I've been blocking on that one to be honest (and the chapter after that). I've actually been blocking on a lot of writing projects for awhile, as you undoubtedly have guessed if you read my PJO stories :blush: I apologize for that, but it has been extremely busy in my world. Summer's nearly over (wah!) and my college courses resume on the 27__th__ (double wah! :( :P). Anyway, I'm sorry, blah, blah, blah. So, moving on, I hope you enjoy this next one-shot. It's a little stupid, but it was just a silly thing I thought of one day to happen to the team. Enjoy! B-)_

**The New Spider in Town (send in new name ideas please! I need more options for the upcoming poll, thanks B-))**

**14) Mishaps with Souvenirs**

_Wally, I'm going to kill you!_ Artemis growled through the mental link. _What did you think you were doing?_

_Chill out, okay? It was just a doohickey I found in that vault. Looked harmless enough and I thought it would be an awesome souvenir! _Wally protested, shifting uncomfortably on his haunches as something swished behind him.

_Yeah? Well your souvenir sucks! _The archer snapped, pacing restlessly, her four feet clacking on the tile floor.

_Come on you guys, calm down! It's not… _that_ bad…_ M'gann tried to reassure them, attempting to bite her lip, but found it more than a little difficult with her long tongue. Oh and no teeth.

_Not that bad? _Heather asked incredulously. _Take a look around, M'gann! We're in serious trouble here!_ She shifted her legs awkwardly, feeling like she was back in middle school. _God and I thought I was all legs and arms as a fifth grader – this is just ridiculous! _She added exasperatedly.

Robin snickered from his perch on the kitchen counter next to her. _Look at it this way, now you can get back at all those guys you dated in a very special way, _he teased.

Heather bared her now long, fuzzy teeth at him. _Oh, you mean by eating them? Sure, why not? Hey! How about I start with you!_

Robin made a sort of nervous chirp and took a few hesitant hops back. _Just a joke Heather! I didn't mean it!_

_Would you two knock it off?_ Conner demanded. _We have bigger problems to deal with here._ He suddenly cocked his head to the side and reached up to scratch his ear with his leg.

_Indeed we do,_ Kaldur agreed from his place in the sink. _I do not know how we are to explain this to Batman or the rest of the League. _He gave a small sigh and looked around regretfully, unable to move from where he floated.

_I might be able to find a reversal spell before they find out,_ Zatanna offered, trying to be helpful. She surveyed her friends once more and felt a bit of doubt creep in. _Maybe…_

Artemis sighed, finally growing tired of glaring at Kid Flash; trying to get him to burst into flames wasn't working. Not like she could really attack him like this anyway. Whether she liked it or not, he had the upper hand for the moment. _Very reassuring Zee, but face facts. We are all currently animals… and it's all Kid Butterfinger's fault._

_Hey, I said I was sorry! _Wally whined. He looked down in annoyance as the tail now attached to his body swished once more. _Still don't get why the thingy made me into a cheetah, _he added.

_Probably because the cheetah is the fastest land animal on planet earth,_ Heather suggested in a bored tone.

_That's right!_ M'gann chimed in brightly, _I learned that watching earth documentaries. I also learned that chameleons can change their colors to match their environment, so I guess that's what I am,_ she added, turning one eye to watch her scaly little body to see if they were indeed changing colors. At the moment nothing was happening, but with the strange eyes on her new body she was able to watch for both a change in her appearance and the conversation between her friends. Very convenient, indeed.

_You two at least are obvious, _Wally added to Robin and Heather. _Rob is… well, he's a robin. No big surprise there. I'd have been more shocked if you'd turned into a vampire bat._

_Ha, ha,_ Robin replied dryly, not amused.

_And Heather is a black widow spider,_ Conner said thoughtfully, watching the tiny girl-spider climb up the side of a clay jar holding flour, the red hourglass on her underside peeking out.

Heather made a frustrated noise that sounded like a hiss with her new fangs. _Why couldn't I have been the daughter of Black Panther? That would be so much better right now than crawling around on eight legs and being only an inch and a half long! _She griped.

_At least you can still do some damage, _Artemis retorted, lying down on the floor grumpily. _I turned into Bambi's mom!_ Her long soft ears flattened angrily, her green doe eyes glaring nowhere in particular.

_Actually, it makes a bit of sense,_ Zatanna replied through the mental link, the only human left in the room. Her personal magical barriers had protected her from the affects of the souvenir Wally had found – a long wooden staff covered with carvings of animal faces. _Artemis was the Greek goddess of the hunt and her sacred animal was the deer… it's like poetic irony or something._

Artemis looked up and cocked her head to the side, annoyed. _If this is irony, I'm not getting the joke,_ she said tartly.

_I don't understand my form either,_ Conner agreed. _Why am I suddenly like Wolf? _He glanced over at said wild dog, who stared back at his master calmly, like this was a normal occurrence. Which in this group, it honestly was.

Though no one had said it, it was a little hard to tell the two apart. Both were now snow white wolves, unusually large and with practically identical features. After mixing the two up several times, Zatanna had finally suggested putting a red kerchief with the Superman symbol around their friend's neck, which seemed to do the trick.

_You do hang out with Wolf a lot, Conner,_ Robin said tentatively. _And you're a bit alike._

_But I hang out with Sphere a lot too…_ the Kryptonian looked more than a little confused, cocking his doggy head to the side. Megan privately thought it made him look extremely cute, like a big puppy.

_Sphere isn't an animal, Supey… she's a machine. A brilliant alien machine, but a machine,_ Wally stated with something like an eye roll, though it's hard to tell on a giant cat.

_Still…_ Conner made a noise like a whimper, which the others interpreted as a sigh. Or at least they hoped it was a sigh. The last thing they needed was for Conner to be losing his head when they needed him the most.

_It could be worse, my friend,_ Kaldur commented from the sink. _I cannot even move outside a body of water now._

_Personally, I think you look really cool, _Heather declared, trying to cheer their team leader up. _I've never seen a manta ray up close,_ she adds. The others nod their consent that Kaldur'ahm's new appearance is very interesting, with his large sleek body, long barbed tail and wing like fins.

He dipped a bit deeper in the sink's water, in what could be roughly a nod or a bow of consent. _I appreciate the support, but I find this form both strange and puzzling. There are so many sea creatures I could have taken the shape of, why the artifact changed me to this one is a mystery, _Aqualad was silent for a moment, reflective on any implications this situation pointed to.

Finally, he shook himself from his thoughts and tried to reinsert authority into his voice. He must be strong and calm for his team and friends. _Zatanna, it would be most prudent if you got to work tracking down a way to reverse what has occurred. Studying the artifact in depth could prove useful. Wally, you're our best scientist, and Conner, you have the best senses. I want both of you to help Zatanna in any way you can. The rest of us will think of other possible solutions, as well as try and delay the League should they decide to check in. I believe the last thing any of us want is for our mentors to see us like this._

Heather made a small hiss. _Got that right – Dad would have a field day with this!_

Artemis mentally groaned. _I don't want to even think about what Ollie would say – I'd never live this down. And Roy? Ugh, I'm getting annoyed already._

Robin said nothing, but he could just imagine how bad of a batglare he'd get if Bruce saw him right then. He'd be doing extra training for the next three weeks if Batman suddenly decided to drop in.

_Don't worry guys, _Zatanna said with a more confident smile. _I'll get you out of this, no sweat. Come on Superboy, KF – let's get you all back to normal._ Conner and Wally stood on all fours and began following Zatanna from the room, eyeing each other warily as if just now aware that the speedster was a large kitty cat and the Kryptonian was now a large alpha dog; two animals that needless to say were probably not supposed to mix. Wolf followed as well, intent it seemed on staying with his master, regardless of Conner's appearance.

_I'll go watch the monitors and computer to make sure no one's coming, _M'gann offered once the foursome was gone.

_Um, no offense Miss M, but it's going to take you awhile to reach the control room,_ Robin pointed out gently to the chameleon. _I'll go do it. Just holler if you need me, _the tiny bird hopped along the counter to the edge and looked down a bit apprehensively at the tile floor. It wasn't any higher than some of the sky scrapers in Gotham, but still he didn't have a grappling hook or even his utility belt. If he fell, he would probably be fine, just sore – bird bones were incredibly strong, if light weight. Still, it seemed pretty far down…

_Wait up bird brain,_ Black Widow said, noticing his hesitation. She hooked a thread of silk to the ceramic pot's lid so she could lower herself to the counter top faster. _I'll come with you. I can't stand just standing around doing nothing._

She crawled quickly to Robin's side, almost shocked at how easily she was adapting to having so many limbs. Robin lowered his tail feathers so Heather could climb his back.

_Try not to bite me,_ Robin teased.

_Why would I?_ Heather shot back. _You're too big for me to eat anyway._

Robin chirped merrily for a moment, the sound eerily similar to his normal cackle. Once Heather had anchored her eight legs into Robin's soft feathers, the Bird-Boy Wonder spread his wings and jumped, flapping rapidly until the two were flying out of the kitchen and into the control room.

Artemis, M'gann and Kaldur sighed in unison. This was going to be a long day.


	15. Don't Drink Alone

_Two in one day, I'm on a roll. Well, one on one day and the second on the next day by a few hours… That didn't make any sense :-\ Okay, I'm going to stop writing now, it's 2am peoples. I need sleep. Enjoy fellow insomniacs…_

**New Spider in Town**

**15) Don't Drink Alone**

Heather sat at her kitchen table, cradling her head in one hand idly, watching Dick sitting across from her. She glanced at the clock. 12:46, he'd been there for three hours now.

"You know what his problem is?" Dick asked her, his voice slurred. He had a hand gripped loosely around a brown glass bottle that was missing half its contents. Four other bottles lay in her recycling bin.

Even though she'd been asked and had answered this question several times already tonight, Heather decided to indulge her friend once more. "No, what?"

"His problem," Dick began, holding up one finger, which shook even as he planted his elbow on the table. "Is that he can't ever have anyone do things their way. It's always _his_ way! It's like… like…" The former Boy Wonder paused as he considered this, trying to come up with an appropriate word when his few remaining brain cells were having a hard enough time keeping him conscious.

And as she had the last three times they'd had this discussion, Heather filled in the blank. "Like the Queen of Hearts from Wonderland? His way or no way?" she asked in a bored tone.

Dick turned and stared at her, like she'd just discovered the cure for cancer. He snapped his fingers clumsily… or tried to anyway. All he really did was swat the air like warding off a fly. "That's it! He's like her! He never listens to me!" He exclaimed, high-spirited still despite his growing lack of equilibrium.

"I mean," he continued. "It's just like how you always used to talk about Spiderman, you know? Your _dad_ never took _you_ seriously and _Bruce_ never takes _me_ seriously!" He said this in such an accentuated manner, apparently forgetting he'd made this connection about five or six times now, she'd lost track.

"I know, Dick, I know," Heather said, nursing the second wine cooler she'd drunk all night. No point in both of them getting wasted, they'd probably just end up puking on each other. Speaking of which, Dick took another long gulp of beer, letting out a short burp before slumping back in his chair.

"It's just so hard," he suddenly remarked, tone more sober than she'd heard all night. She looked up and her heart ached at the misery on her friend's face. "It's so hard to be Robin. He expects so much. I have to give a hundred and fifty percent every day. No screw ups. No mistakes." He gave a long sigh and slid his dulled blue eyes up to meet hers. "I hate it."

"Aw, Richard," Heather sighed as well, putting her hand against his clammy cheek, fingering his hair like she often did to her real brother. "I know you do. But you can't let one fight break up the dynamic duo," she picked up the line of reasoning she'd been going back to all night. "I mean, Bruce loves you. He just doesn't want you to get hurt."

Dick scowled. "I'm not a child anymore, Heather. I won't be coddled. Dammit!" He shook off her touch and slammed the bottle onto the table, jumping from his seat to pace the kitchen. She observed his steps with heart that grew heavier with every beat.

"Haven't I proven myself, time and again?" He demanded. "I'm Robin the Boy Freaking Wonder! The first sidekick in superhero history! I've cemented that name in the books. Doesn't that mean _anything_ to him?" He ranted.

Heather took the last sip of her drink and got up to put the bottle in the recycling bin, dumping the last of Dick's beer down the drain before the bottle joined its brothers in the bin as well. She straightened and watched as Dick continued his angry pacing for a moment.

Finally she stepped into his path and grabbed his shoulders. For a second, he struggled against her grip, but between his distraught state and the alcohol he couldn't fight back. With gentle but firm movements, Heather maneuvered her friend into the living room and sat him on the sofa. Then, before he could object, she pulled him against her chest and held him in a tight hug.

He resisted at first, of course, angry and unthankful for the forced embrace. He didn't want babying – it was what he was trying to get away from. He wanted to hit something! Yet he couldn't make himself either push one of his oldest friends away nor could he strike her. Gradually his anger subsided and he sighed, suddenly exhausted, placing tentative arms around the older girl's waist.

It was quiet for awhile. The apartment was silent, with only muted sounds of late night New York traffic filtering through the walls. It was almost like they were the only people on the planet for that one moment. Completely alone.

Alone… that was a feeling Dick knew well. He'd been alone when his parents died. He'd been alone when Bruce first took him in, before he'd become Robin. He'd been alone before he'd let a few select people – Babs, Heather, Wally – in on his secret identity. He'd been alone when things ended between himself and Zatanna. He'd felt so very alone when Bruce had said all those horrible things to him, and even more so when he'd shouted back. He'd felt alone tonight when he'd taken the zeta – almost unconsciously – to New York and knocked on Heather's door.

But he wasn't alone now. The warm, slim, strong arms wrapped around him were proof enough. Heather had taken one look at his face and opened the door, sitting him down at her tiny table, taking his rain soaked jacket, and pulling a cold beer from the fridge that wasn't supposed to be there (she was after all, much like him, still underage), and placing it in front of him. The expression on her face was clear – 'talk, I'll listen' – and he did.

Dick, with a strange moment of clarity, realized his face was wet with his own tears. When had he started crying?

"Dick, I know this is hard right now. I know you're hurt and angry," She said softly, whispering in the quiet. "I've been there. So many times, I've been there. I don't want you to end up like me – alone and bitterly estranged from everything I once knew. Having to start from the ground up all over again with little to no help is no picnic. It's a hard road to go down, and there's no turning back. But if that's what you want, to start anew and put the past behind you, then I'll be here for you. Every step of the way."

She pulled back but kept her arms around his shoulders, studying his face. "I'll help you however I can," she said simply, "that's a promise, and you know I never break those."

He thought that over for long seconds. Why _was_ his brain moving so sluggishly anyway? …Oh yeah, the beer. That would be a good reason. "Okay," he murmured eventually.

"Good. But for right now," she added, pushing his sweaty hair from his face. "You need to sleep on it. Let your mind and body process everything. In the morning, with a clear head and sound judgment, is when you should make your decision. Not when you're drunk off your skinny ass," she tacked on the last sentence with a small smirk, shaking her head.

Dick frowned. "My ass isn't that skinny," he muttered.

Heather rolled her eyes. "Sure, Richie. Whatever you say. Come on, let's get you to bed." She stood, extracting herself from his arms, and hurried to grab a warm quilt she kept in the closet as well as an extra pillow. He sat in the same spot she'd left him, unmoving and staring at the floor like it was suddenly fascinating.

She returned shortly and with a few small tugs pulled her futon couch down into a passable bed, placing the pillow and quilt down on it. She came back to Dick's side and bent down to start pulling off his shoes, which she chucked over by the door.

"Heather?" Dick said suddenly, watching her.

"Yeah?" She was unbuttoning his shirt now, revealing a chest so mangled that it seemed there were more scars then normal flesh.

"What do you think of 'Nightwing'?"

She paused in pulling off his belt, her intent to let him sleep just in his boxers. It would be a lot more comfortable, and if he became reacquainted with the beer in his stomach in the morning he'd at least – hopefully – avoid ruining his clothes which would save her time at the laundry mat. "What's 'Nightwing'?" she questioned eventually.

"Just an idea," he replied easily as she gave him a gentle push, sending him sprawling back on the futon. He didn't seem to notice as she removed his jeans and tucked the quilt around him, putting the pillow under his head.

Heather sighed and gave Dick's dark hair a sisterly tousle. "It's nice, Dick. Really nice. Now you need to go to sleep, okay? I'm leaving a trash can right here so if you need to puke you can. I'll see you in the morning." She got up, ready for sleep herself, when her friend's voice stopped her once more.

"Mulţumesc, sora mea. Dormi bine..." Dick gave a loud yawn and closed his eyes. _Thank you, my sister. Sleep well._

Heather smiled to herself. "Noapte bună, fratele meu. Vis de lucrurile mari va face." _Goodnight, my brother. Dream of the great things you will do. _She turned off the light.


	16. Old Frenemies

_So, uh, before you pelt me with rubber bands and spit balls, let me try and explain. First off, it's been nuts, really nuts, completely nuts, in my life right now. I've slowly been going insane by everything happening to me at once, and had little time for anything else. Secondly, I really, really wanted to finish this second part to that future story arc I gave you guys forever ago, but I kept blocking and blocking on it. Even now, it's not finished with this chapter added. Most likely at this point, it won't be a three-part piece but a four-part. *Sigh* I need to learn to be less wordy._

_Anyway, on another note, I've opened a new poll on my profile, this one to do with the title of this story. A few have already voted, but I need more help to decide, and that's where you come in. If you haven't, please vote on the new title you like most, or tell me you want the old one still. Either way, VOTE! (Sheesh, I'm beginning to sound like the presidential ads that have been running on tv :p)_

_So, without further ado, here is part two of the future story arc, continuing from chapter seven B-) So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!_

**New Spider in Town**

**16) Old Frenemies**

**August 23, 2016, 11:06 pm…**

"Well," Nightwing remarked as he and his companions landed on a dilapidated rooftop. "Here we are, Crime Alley."

Fang stepped forward gingerly on the caving in roof and looked over the edge at the streets below. There were a few bums standing around a fire in a trash can, a stray cat was being chased by a dog down the street, both merely skin and bones, and an old lady in layered dirty clothes pushed a tightly packed shopping cart down the sidewalk. "Charming," she murmured.

"Don't let Batman hear you say that," Robin warned. "He's real touchy about this place for whatever reason."

"This is where it happened, isn't it," Fang more stated than asked, turning to Nightwing.

He nodded. "At the old theater, back when this place was the height of Gotham society."

"Okay, _now_ what are you guys talking about?" Robin demanded, trying not to sigh in exasperation. "This is getting a little ridiculous."

"This is where Batman was figuratively born," Fang explained solemnly. "His parents were murdered here, right in front of his eyes. It's what drove him to become the Batman."

Robin looked stunned. "He… he never told me that."

"He very rarely talks about anything to do with his parents," Nightwing remarked calmly, staring at the orange moon overhead. "Frankly, I can't fault him for it."

"Reminds me of another vigilante I know. Though this one tends to be more whelmed than Batman," Fang sent him a small smile. He returned it, but it was strained.

"Alright, let's see here," Fang said, coming back to the present. She pulled a small round object from her utility belt, tapped on it and brought up a holographic map.

"Here's where we are," she pointed to three blinking red dots. "Here's the river – Sandman would avoid that area at all costs. He and water don't mix very well. My source said he was spotted in this general area," she touched the screen and drew a small circle around a cluster of buildings. The map zoomed in on the circled location, showing about a five block radius.

"That shouldn't take too long to cover," Nightwing remarked.

"If it weren't for the fact that the information is two days old, than I would agree with you," Fang replied grimly. "As it is, were looking at a region more like this," she pulled the view out until it covered a ten block radius. "Sandman doesn't like to stay in one spot for long – even before his mutating accident, he was always the type to keep moving when the heat was on. If I don't find him tonight, he could be out of Gotham all together by tomorrow."

"Guess we better get started then," Robin said.

"Right," Fang pressed a few buttons and drew a few lines across her map, cutting it into thirds like a pie. "If you guys take these two sections, I'll take the last. We can reconvene here in two hours," she placed a green dot on at the location where the corner sections met in the middle.

"Roger, we can use our comms to stay in contact," Nightwing added. Fang took out her ear piece so he could adjust it to the frequency he and Robin were using.

"Sometimes, I really miss M'gann's mental links… although not having Artemis and Wally arguing in my head is a plus," Fang remarked as she placed the electronic gizmo back into her ear.

Robin tilted his head to the side thoughtfully but didn't comment. Nightwing smirked, "See you guys in two hours." He shot a grappling hook and was gone.

Left alone for a moment, Robin stared at Fang as she replaced her holomap and adjusted her gloves and hood, placing her face even further into the shadows. "When this is all over, I'd like a few questions answered," he finally said, trying to sound stern.

Fang smiled mysteriously, "Sure thing short stuff. For now though, just find my target and try not to get killed in the process. Sandman is a nasty guy – don't underestimate him, and for both our sakes, don't try and take him alone."

"Why for your sake?" He asked.

"Because while you _might_ get hurt, _I _most definitely will, when and if Batman ever finds out. I'd like to see the next sunrise if it's all the same to you," she gave a mock, two-finger salute. She then ran to the edge of the building and leapt off the roof, shooting a webline to change her fall into a sweeping, aerial arc.

Robin shook his head. "Nightwing sure has some strange friends. Though who am I to talk? One of my best friends is part fish and the other one can change into a fish… or any other animal he wants to for that matter."

Deciding that he probably needed to spend more time with Stephanie, who was semi-normal in comparison to his other peers, Robin turned and ran in the opposite directions of Fang and Nightwing, intent on finding the target. _Now, if I were made of sand, where would I hide?_

YJxYJxYJ

**August 24, 2016, 1:58am…**

Fang landed on top of an abandoned apartment building and sighed. She'd searched through about two thirds of her section of Crime Alley and turned up zilch. If she'd lost Sandman there would be hell to pay when she got back to New York. Although she had gone solo years ago, her father still liked to nag her to death when she botched an assignment – it got quite aggravating quickly.

She pulled out her minicomputer and frowned at the screen. Pressing a few buttons, she pulled up another holoscreen with a fluctuating bar graph. The readout was tuned to pick up any odd levels of mineral deposits, perfect for tracking Sandman, but it only worked when said villain was within a five mile radius. At the moment, there was definitely a flux of mineral deposits, but it was the wrong kind – she was looking for sand and this was showing… clay?

Distracted by the computer reading, her spidersenses didn't pick up a presence behind her until the last second. Eyes widening, she ducked and spun around, throwing a roundhouse kick blindly behind her. Her foot seemed to sweep right through the man behind her as she landed in a crouch.

"It's very rude to sneak up on a lady," Fang remarked calmly.

The man smiled darkly before his body melted and enlarged into a ginormous mud monster, like some kind of crazy child's play dough creation. "Good thing there are no ladies around here," Clayface replied in a gravelly (no pun intended) voice.

Fang narrowed her eyes, "Not the sedimentary freak I was looking for, but you'll do."

She slid into a smooth backwards somersault until she came to the edge of the roof. Flipping back and placing her hands on the parapet like a spring board, she leapt off the building with Clayface roaring and following behind shortly. Freefalling from the four story building, Fang flipped over to face the incoming building opposite the apartments and shoved off with her feet. Vaulting backwards, she used an old awning to break her fall before landing in a crouch on the asphalt.

Clayface took the more direct route and simply fell to the pavement with a goosebump inducing _'squelch!'_ Fang shook off a shiver from the noise and fell into a wide footed fighting stance. _Just like Sandman,_ she told herself, _stay loose, dodge a lot, try and take him by surprise. This'll be a walk in the park… right, of course it will. Sheesh, even my subconscious is doubting me now._

"You're a new one," Clayface observed, taking in her lithe figure. "Is the Bat replacing Batgirl already? Who're you then? The Batwoman? The Batlady?"

Fang smirked. "Not quite." He threw an overly large fist at her and she ducked, cartwheeling away. "The name's Fang. Ever heard of me?"

"No, but soon no one will have heard of you. Especially when you're a spot on the concrete," Clayface grinned and went to tackle her.

Fang ran towards Clayface's charge and slid beneath his huge legs. From behind, she sprang up and sent a kick and a punch at the behemoth's back. He grunted irritably and pulled his face and arms backwards until he was in front of her again.

Fang wrinkled her nose seeing the goop on her arms and legs. "Okay, that's nasty."

The creature grinned grotesquely and made a move to grab her around the waist. Acting quickly, Fang shot a webline to a handy flagpole above Clayface's head and swung up out of his reach. Landing on the pole, she balanced there for a moment and reassessed her opponent. She knew she couldn't take Clayface alone – even if she gave it her all, she had a feeling she'd lose and lose badly.

Reaching up and pressing her earpiece, she radioed Robin and Nightwing, while at the same time clicking a button on her utility belt that retracted her cape until it was only as long as her shoulder blades. As useful and stylish as it was, she knew in this case the cape wouldn't help her, and she didn't want to give Clayface any extra advantages.

"Robin and Nightwing, this is Fang. Come in, over," she said while jumping backwards as Clayface threw a glop in the shape of a sharp spike at her. The spike embedded into the concrete wall a foot deep, cracks spreading outward like varicose veins. Fang hoped no one was living in the old building anymore as she didn't want any civilians hurt.

"Nightwing and Robin, do you copy?" She requested again, her voice becoming more urgent as she flipped over a car, which Clayface then proceeded to throw at her.

Barely dodging the, well actually it was a Dodge, she pulled a small, spider shaped object from her belt and threw it at Clayface. The tiny spider embedded into the villain's abdomen, sinking in. A second later, a small explosion from his stomach knocked the man backwards a few feet, leaving him stunned and groaning for a moment.

"Guys! Where the hell are you?" Fang nearly snarled into the communicator, really getting pissed now.

There was a crackle on the other end, then, _"Geez, Robin here. What's going on?"_

Fang, while she had been hoping to hear from the elder boy wonder, didn't look a gift horse in the mouth and replied, "I've run into an old friend of Bats in my sector. I thought I had found Sandman, but it was Clayface, messing with my computer readings. I can't take him alone. Where are you?"

"_Near the end of my sector and – Oh crap," _he cut off for a moment, the sounds of grunts and punches coming through the radio instead. _"I'm a little busy here, myself," _Robin's admittance was followed shortly by what sounded like a kick hitting flesh and the whoosh of air forcefully leaving lungs.

"With what! Please tell me you didn't pick a fight with a hood, I so don't have time to bail you out of a gang war," Fang pleaded, half in annoyance and half angrily.

Most of the anger however was directed at Clayface as he got back up, ripped a telephone pole from the concrete and threw it at her. Flipping over it, she used her flying momentum to kick Clayface in the head then leapt backwards and once more began dodging hits.

"_Of course not!" _Robin sounded indignant, though a tad winded. _"What do you take me for anyway? I'm not that green!"_

_True,_ Fang mused while roundhouse kicking Clayface's stomach, with little results, _the costume hasn't had green in it since Dick wore those pixie boots._ She smirked at that, which Clayface took personally. The ensuing punches were particularly difficult to evade, and the last one caught her off guard, sending her flying into a car that had been stripped of everything but the main chassis. Swallowing a grunt forming in her throat, she replied, "Then what the hell are you doing? I need backup here, and Nightwing's not picking up my messages."

There was a moment of hesitation on the other end of the line. _"Uh… remember how you said if I saw Sandman to just follow him, not engage him in any way and report to you?"_

The question made her pause, which nearly resulted in becoming a pancake on the sidewalk if she hadn't rolled out of the way in time. She thanked God for her spider senses as Clayface slowly lifted two large, hammer formed hands from the now destroyed car she'd landed on earlier.

"Yes…" Fang answered slowly, cart wheeling away from Clayface as his now blade shaped hands swung at her repeatedly. "Why?"

"_He, um, well, hehe, he kind of got the drop on me and…_" Fang's groan cut Robin off midsentence.

"You've got to be kidding me!" She exclaimed, landing sideways on a streetlamp to pull more spider bombs from her belt. "I give you one rule to follow, and you go and do the exact opposite! Ugh, this is why I fly solo now and I don't babysit," she added the last part mostly to herself, throwing each bomb at Clayface in different spots as she bounced from the streetlamp to the sidewalk to the falling awning of a building.

"_It was out of my control!"_ Robin protested and Fang had to admit, if only to herself, that the boy had a point. If Sandman really did sneak up on him, then the kid really didn't have an option other than fighting.

"It's not your fault, Robin," Fang said calmly, her mind going a mile a minute to reassess the situation with this new information in play. "It's mine. I shouldn't have split us up. I was just in a hurry to wrap up this case for personal reasons." Not elaborating further, she pressed the detonator for the spider bombs on her belt and watched from her spot hanging from halfway up a building as Clayface's form was lost in a billow of thick smoke.

"_So, what do you want me to do? I can't get out of this fight, and I'm running out of wingdings,"_ Robin requested, then muttered a word that Fang had a feeling Alfred would not approve of.

Fang thought it over while watching Clayface as he slowly stood from the small crater in the pavement made by the explosives. _Damn, five bombs and he's still standing! I'll have to pull out some of those new toys I made at the lab – hope they work_. "Keep him busy for as long as you can. I'll wrap up here then come find you. Whatever you do, don't turn your back on Sandman for even a second. I repeat, keep moving – if you're in one spot for too long, he'll have you in sandwiched into a corner in a heartbeat," she stopped and thought about what she just said, "Uh, no pun intended… Just stall him. I'll be right there."

"_Roger. Robin out,"_ The Boy Wonder replied seriously, and cut the connection.

_For the love of Batman, he even talks like Dick used to… well, minus the butchered words of the dictionary,_ Fang shook her head slightly and pulled out her latest toy from her belt.

Below her, Clayface roared angrily. "Come down here and face me! Or are you too scared, little girl?" He grinned eagerly, clearly trying to bait her.

Fang however would have none of it. She'd let her temper over female jokes get the better of her too many times in the past, and had learned to ignore them. The bad guys – and girls – learned soon enough what she was made of, and that she was not one to be messed with. Clayface would be no different… unless of course that big head of his was harder than the rest of his body.

"Oh you'll be the one who's scared soon enough, Mr. Play Dough. By the way, do you know the Muffin Man? You know the guy who lives on Drurey Lane? You could be his cousin," Fang grinned and loaded a small capsule into a gun-like compartment in her glove.

"No? Oh well, maybe the next mud monster I meet will know him. I hear he makes great cupcakes." Clayface roared loudly and Fang took quick, but careful aim for his exposed mouth. _Artemis, don't let your archery lessons fail me now,_ she thought and fired.

The capsule launched through the air and landed in Clayface's maw. The man choked for a moment in surprise and reflexively swallowed. Before he could register what had happened, the capsule's contents exploded outwards, solidifying the man like monster into a giant statue.

Fang smirked to herself in satisfaction. "I knew all I needed to create instant dry concrete was a little clay," she murmured. Pulling out her computer, she double checked her companion's locations. Robin was about where he'd last said he was, no doubt still stalling Sandman. But what troubled the heroine was Nightwing's signal was also going strong, however he'd failed to answer her call before. What was Dick doing?

Deciding she could think about it later, she launched herself on a web and swung as fast as possible to Robin's location, hoping the kid hadn't bit off more than he could chew. The last thing she needed was the whole Batfamily breathing down her neck.

_Sometimes I really miss the days when it was just Alfred and Bruce to worry about pissing off… Huh, never thought I say that,_ Fang considered with a small shake of her head.

YJxYJxYJ

**August 24, 2016, 2:20am…**

"Why –" Sandman grunted, throwing another punch.

"Won't –" an anvil shape appeared where his hand would be and slammed into the wall, just missing.

"You –" two anvils thrown around in a circle, nearly catching him but still not close enough, and an air vent was destroyed instead.

"Stay –" a giant baseball bat swung towards his opponent, taking out the leg of a faded billboard. "STILL!" Sandman roared angrily, growing in size as he glared at the pesky kid.

Robin grinned cheekily. "They don't call me the Teen Wonder for nothing," he quipped, a bo staff appearing in his hands. Using it as a pole vault, he flung himself into thin air off the first rooftop and onto a second one.

'_Distract him', she said,_ Robin thought grumpily, dodging a two punch combo and a slice from a sand blade. _'Keep him busy', she said. _He back flipped away from a giant sandy fist. _'I'll be right there', she said! Well then where the heck is she? I can't keep this up all night!_

Tapping his communicator, he tried to reach Fang. "Fang? Fang, come in. I need backup over here – now!"

There was a crackle, and then Fang's dry, sultry voice came over the line. _"Keep your cape on, Boy Blunder. I'm on my way. Two minutes out at most."_

Robin eyed Sandman as he grew to about three times his original size and turned his fists into meat hammers. "Make that two seconds, and I will be forever in your debt," he swallowed and narrowed his eyes, shifting his weight to the balls of his feet.

"_Can I get that in writing?"_ Fang teased.

"So not the time for drawing up legal documents. Just get here – now!" Robin growled jumping back as the hammers came down. He leapt up and landed on top of them before running up Sandman's arm, over his shoulder and jumping off his back.

"_Ten-four. Fang out," _the older hero replied, and Robin knew, just _knew_, that she was smirking at him… again. He didn't have time to fume about it right then though. He was too busy trying to avoid getting sand in his uniform.

Robin wasn't sure how long he was ducking and dodging before Fang showed up. It felt like forever, and this sand guy just kept coming! The arachnid was right when she said never to turn your back to him or let your guard down.

He made that mistake only once, and it got him thrown into a building so hard that he knocked through the outer wall and into the dilapidated room beyond. That was going to hurt in the morning. He was just getting to his feet when a giant fist gripped him like a child's toy and brought him out to hang over the alleyway three stories below.

Sandman chuckled as Robin struggled in his grip, the boy hero feeling like he was being held in concrete. "I was expecting more of a challenge from the partner of the famous Dark Knight… guess you're all hype after all."

"Hey Sandy, you ran out on our date!"

Sandman turned in time for Fang's boot to collide with his face, breaking it in half. She landed on the other side of him and clung to the building by the fingertips of one hand. "And I really hate it when someone stands me up," she finished, smirking in determination.

Sandman reformed his face and turned to face the daughter of his long arch rival. "So, we meet again, Princess. You're a long way from home, aren't ya Sweetheart?"

"What can I say? I get around," Fang replied. "Besides, a New Yorker I may be, but I've got friends everywhere. You're treating one of them like a squeezy stress ball right now." She pointed out Robin casually, as if he wasn't struggling to breathe.

"This little pipsqueak?" Sandman asked, raising his hand up to inspect the Boy Wonder critically. "He's a little young for you, ain't he?"

"Can you two flirt, or whatever the heck it is you're doing, later? I'm not partial to the idea of my insides being turned to mush, you know," Robin grunted, slowly losing feeling in his arms.

Fang sighed, like a tired mother, and continued her conversation, completely ignoring Robin. "I know he's not much to look at. Plus, between you and me, he complains a _lot_. But, what can I say? I'm old friends with his mentors, and I did promise them he'd be in relatively one piece when I brought him back, so… Well, you know how it is."

Sandman nodded and shrugged. "You gotta do, what you gotta do."

"Exactly," Fang's smirk widened. "So, you wanna lead this time, or shall I?"

Sandman grinned. "Ladies first," he said, dropping Robin like he was a forgotten toy, to pull back his fist and pummel the cute but annoying spider lady to dust.

After making sure that Robin caught himself with a batarang, Fang tossed herself back and up, away from the fist on a higher portion of the building. "Oh, you are _such_ a gentleman," she cooed, grinning playfully.

Apart from being a tough villain, Fang had to admit there was something fun about fighting Sandman. He bantered more than other villains and he was very easy to rile up – and after all, bugging people was one of her favorite pastimes.

"I try, Princess," Sandman replied, hammering the building again where she'd just been.

"Missed me, now you gotta… actually, I'm not going to finish that sentence. Sorry handsome, but you're not my type," Fang said, leaping forward for a two punch combo with a roundhouse kick. After breaking apart Sandman's face – again – she landed on the roof of the building behind him, and looked back, but of course by then he'd already reformed his head.

"Yeah well, you're a little young for me," Sandman answered. "Besides, Spiderman's your old man – can't date my enemy's daughter. It'd be too personal." He turned his hands into swords and sliced at her.

She ducked and dodged each one, moving further and further back from him to the other edge of the roof. "True. Just think of the family dinners! God, it'd be worse than that time when I came home with a tattoo and a navel piercing in high school; thought I'd never hear the end of that."

"Wait," he muttered, reforming on the roof, now carrying a sand mace. He paused and tilted his head to the side. "You got a tattoo? Where? You're practically wearing nothing and I've never seen it."

"Have you been actively looking for one? Sheesh, that's kinda creepy Sandy. Do you want to add stalker to your rap sheet?" Fang frowned in distaste, using her webbing to make dense web orbs, which Sandman only batted aside with his mace like he was a baseball player.

From behind, Fang felt her spider sense go off as Robin landed, bo staff extended and ready. "Took you long enough to join the party pipsqueak," she commented wryly.

"I had to catch my breath first. I'm not used to being turned into Play Dough," Robin replied, half defensive of the shot at his skills and half accepting that he should have been back sooner. He knew for a fact that if Batman were here, he would have been stuck with cleaning all the batmobiles and the giant penny for this. As it was, Fang was being relatively nice.

"I don't want to hear excuses, Robin, I want to see results." Or not. Well, at least she wasn't using a batglare, although she _was_ pretty occupied right then. "And those results include Sandman back in his cell by morning. I assume Young Justice still uses the same codenames for their maneuvers?"

The question caught him off guard for a moment. He'd guessed that Fang and Dick were friends from back when Young Justice was first formed, but he'd never thought that the young woman was once on the Team. He'd read Nightwing's mission entries. There was no mention of a hero named Fang.

Still, if she was asking, she'd probably been there. He'd find out more about it later, maybe when they weren't getting their butts kicked. "Yeah."

"Good. Maneuver twenty-seven then. Alpha-niner-one, phase two. Go," Fang ordered in a clipped tone. Hiding his surprise with a quick nod, Robin disappeared from sight as Fang backed up a few paces towards the opposite edge of the roof, continuing her game of baseball with Sandman.

"Face it Sweetcheeks, it's time for us to end our relationship," Sandman told her with a small chuckle. "And by end, I mean yours."

"Oh Sandman, ye of little faith – don't you know by now that I'm quite hard to kill?" Fang replied sweetly. "I believe that our association is just beginning and will continue for quite some time yet. Though, rest assured, there will be times when we're apart from each other. Namely, after each and every time that I kick your butt and haul it back to the Vault." She grinned and glanced over her enemies shoulder for a moment.

Sandman shook his head. "Not this time, Princess. I've been paid my biggest score yet by a very generous employer. My job is simple – lure you here to Gotham then kill both you _and_ as many of the Batclan as I can. Not a bad gig for a cool mill." He grinned.

Fang frowned, halting her attack for a moment as her heels thumped against the parapet. "Who paid you to knock me off, Sandman – Tombstone? Dr. Octopus? Hammer Head? Silvermane? Who?" She demanded, narrowing her eyes in the shadow of her hood.

Sandman shook his head, almost mournfully as his hands morphed into large, twin hammers. "Sorry Princess, you're way off course. Though, truth be told, I didn't even think the guy existed until I saw him with my own eyes. Always assumed he was just an urban myth. But he's real alright, and he's drawn your number tonight, Doll."

He raised his arms high and smiled coldly, "Goodbye Fang, it's been an honor to kill you."

"Now, Robin!" Fang yelled, flinging herself backwards into space as the sand hammers came down onto the roof.

Sandman barely had time to turn and catch sight of Robin leaping up behind him, before the Teen Wonder kicked through his body, depositing something inside the man before landing on the parapet. Sandman growled angrily and raised his arms for another attack when the capsule inside his body began to explode outwards. From below, Fang grabbed the end of Robin's cape and yanked him down onto the fire escape she'd landed on. Wrapping her now extended cape around them, they huddled on the rusted platform as a bright light and small explosion detonated above them, shaking the building's very foundation.

When the light and smoke had cleared, Fang pulled back her cape and the two cautiously stood. Robin stepped back, uncomfortable and embarrassed over being so close to a woman he barely knew, particularly one that had just saved his life. If she hadn't pulled him off the parapet when she had, he would've been a goner, that's for sure.

"Uh… thanks," he muttered.

She flashed him a smile, showing off teeth that seemed a little too sharp to be normal. "Of course. For all my dark humor and sinister appearance, I don't actually hate kids, especially kid heroes… I just don't do babysitting anymore," she shuddered for a second, remembering something she didn't elaborate on, before climbing back up to the rooftop.

Robin considered asking once more how she knew any kid heroes, and the identity of both Batman and Nightwing, but then stopped himself. Did it really matter? More importantly, if it was really important, he was sure that Bruce and Dick would fill him in later. He climbed up the ladder and found Fang circling her handiwork with a smile on her face.

"And my art teacher said I couldn't even do stick figures well," Fang said smugly, admiring the now still statue of Sandman, his body shiny, smooth and clear.

"What was in that capsule?" Robin asked, running a finger along the side of Sandman's frozen hammer.

"Just an extremely hot explosive," Fang replied, as if this were no big deal. "When you superheat sand, like with a lightning bolt or in this case gun powder, what do you get? Come on, I know you're a smart kid, you can answer this one," she smirked and leaned against the Sandman statue casually.

Robin only needed a moment to figure out what she meant. "Of course," he murmured, studying the glass statue with more interest now. "Sand, when heated to about seventeen hundred degrees Fahrenheit, turns into glass. The most common way we usually see it is in sea glass, created by lightning." He grinned, the scientist inside him bursting with excitement. "But how did you manage to make an explosive that can heat up in such a fast, controlled manner?"

Fang shrugged. "My civilian work, although it usually involves using modern science for curing diseases and ailments, occasionally requires that I participate in projects for the government on new technologies. That capsule was a prototype for a project their working on now – a prototype that I borrowed and modified in my own spare time. Nifty, huh?"

"Very," Robin agreed. He frowned suddenly, "Uh, what exactly does 'nifty' mean?"

Fang sighed and looked heavenward, shaking her head. "I swear kids must just be getting dumber. I can't possibly be old yet – I haven't even hit thirty for Bon Jovi's sake."

"Who the heck is Bon Jovi?" Robin asked, looking very confused.

Fang waved her hand impatiently. "Oh, never mind that for now. We've got bigger problems. Have you been able to get in touch with Nightwing since we split up? He didn't answer my calls on the communicator."

"Not for the last few hours, no," he replied. "What's the big deal? We caught Sandman – and Clayface too. Mission accomplished."

She shook her head and held up her wrist computer, typing into the holo-keypad. "Our mission is far from over. Sandman said he was paid a hefty price to take out both me and the Batclan, by someone who was supposed to just be an urban myth. And running into Clayface tonight as well can't be a coincidence."

"Meaning?" Robin asked, still not quite following.

"Meaning, that if there's a bounty on my head, as well as yours and Nightwing's, then he could be in danger and we have to warn him. I still don't understand who would have a grudge against both me and you two," She shook her head, perplexed. "It doesn't make any sense. I wasn't here long enough for anyone to make definite connections."

He frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Fang sighed impatiently, not looking up from her screen. "Look, the reason I know all about Batman and company is three-fold. One, I met Batman and Nightwing initially out of costume when I was…" she paused, "first starting out as a hero, before we worked together on a case. Two, I worked with Nightwing when he was Robin on the original Young Justice team. And three, after I left the team and started on my own, Batman trained me. Not for long, and I usually only spent time working in the cave, but occasionally he would test me in the field. When he did, I used a different costume than my first and went by a different hero name. But I wasn't around long enough for any villain in Gotham with half a brain to remember – even the genius bad guys would've forgotten me. That's why this makes no sense."

Robin was still trying to process this moment of information overload, when Fang suddenly exclaimed triumphantly, "Yes! I've found him."

"Where is he?" He leaned over her shoulder to get a view of her holomap.

"Not far from here, but he's been in the same area for an awfully long time," Fang sounded concerned, but it was hard for Robin to read her expression when her face was hidden in shadows. "He might just be staking out a possible target and maintaining radio silence – but somehow I doubt it." She closed her computer and looked around before her eyes landed on Sandman.

"Call in an anonymous tip to the Commissioner – tell him the Vault is looking for a missing convict and where to find him," She instructed brusquely. "We'll meet on the building across the street from Nightwing's location." Without waiting for a reply, she swan dived gracefully off the roof and into thin air, flipping once before flicking her wrist and swinging away.

"She's worse than Batman," Robin muttered, holding his chin thoughtfully. "You know," he remarked to statue Sandman, who he figured couldn't hear him anyway, "you said she was Spiderman's daughter, but the only daughters I know of that he has are Spidergirl – whose only like six or seven – and a teen hero that went off the radar years ago. She was a girl that went by the name of Black Widow – not the assassin from the Avengers team, she's a bit older. Hmm, I wonder…" he trailed off.

Quickly radioing in the tip, Robin shot a grappling hook and followed the mysterious female hero. There were still a lot of questions buzzing around his head that needed to be answered, and he'd only get those answers if he could manage to pry them from either Dick or Fang. Starting with what her name was. Hey, if she knew his, than it was fair turnaround for him to know hers, wasn't it?

He smirked. _Yeah, fair and square._

That decided, he refocused on his current task and caught up with the female vigilante, who resembled a graceful but frightening red bird as she sailed through the sky. Watching her intently while still maintaining his own propulsion, he looked for the type of mechanism she was using to move herself from building to building. What he could see though baffled him. She had no grappling hooks, and the ropes she used looked more like a thick trail of silk.

_But what kind of silk would be strong enough to hold her weight?_ Robin marveled, his brow furrowing above his mask.

Soon enough, they landed at the desired location, with Fang immediately falling into a predatory like crouch. Robin made sure he wasn't far behind her, remembering what Batman had told him about blending into the darkness. They slinked together through the shadows to the roof's edge, kneeling beside an air vent before cautiously peering over the top.

"Nightwing!" Robin exclaimed hoarsely, holding in a shout.

On the roof of the building below them, Nightwing lay unmoving on the tarmac. Something wet and thick was smeared across his back and in small puddles around his head.

Fang's expression seemed to darken even more, the moon above casting a chilling light on her face. "Does he look like he's breathing?" She asked in a hard voice as her mouth flattened into a white, thin line.

Robin forced himself to focus and squashed the burning need to run from cover to his older brother. "Yes, I think so."

Fang gave one curt nod. "I know you're going to hate me for this, but I want you to wait here while I check on him." She held up one finger before he could begin to protest. "I need someone to watch my back. You heard Sandman – if this is some kind of trap, I'll need you to warn me of any danger. So stay here," she leveled her fierce gaze at him for a moment.

At this angle, Robin could finally see her face completely in the pale light. He had to admit, she was very beautiful, and younger than he'd thought, maybe only a few years older than Dick. However, the maturity and wisdom in her face reminded him of an older hero, and knowing now that she'd trained with his mentor made it clear why. He was also surprised – for reasons he couldn't quite name – at seeing the locks of short, spikey red hair framing her face. _Dick just must have a thing for redheads,_ he thought absently.

Robin took in a cleansing breath. "Alright. But hurry up, okay?"

She nodded once, and with a swish of her cape she'd flipped over the air vent and landed on the roof below. Proceeding cautiously, she hurried to Nightwing's side and leaned over him to assess the damage.

Robin squatted in his position, fidgeting uncomfortably. He understood the reason for staying behind, but that didn't mean that he liked it. _Come on, come on,_ he thought impatiently.

Perhaps it was because of this impatience that he didn't hear the figure creeping up behind him. Or maybe it was the worry and racing thoughts in his mind that was making him so inattentive, his normal vigilance lowering ever so slightly. Whatever the case, it wasn't until he heard a soft footfall directly behind him that Robin turned, eyes widening as he realized his mistake.

Before a cry of warning could be uttered or any type of defense could have been made, he was knocked across the temple with the cool barrel of a gun. Out cold before he hit the ground, Robin lay unmoving as the figure stood over him, as silent as his approach had been.

The moon, having been obscured by dark clouds, barely illuminated the silhouette of the man standing over the Teen Wonder. Concealed eyes raked over the unconscious boy's form speculatively, wondering where the young hero's mentor was, as they were usually never far apart. His gaze swiveled to the left, his hidden mouth kinking in a smirk as he observed the other vigilante he'd already taken care of below. He tilted his head calculatingly at the outline of a hooded person leaning over the protector of Bludhaven.

Pulling a small communicator from his belt, he held it up to the metal helmet on his head. "If you two would still like to be paid, I suggest you join me soon, or I'll have all the fun without you," he growled into the device, barely speaking above a whisper.

"_We'll be there soon – I had to break up Sandman and damage a few cops,"_ Clayface replied. _"That girl is going to regret turning me into a statue,"_ he added angrily.

The man hesitated. "Who? Batgirl?"

"_Nah, boss,"_ Sandman responded. _"It was the girl you told me to knock off. She slipped away, but I'd keep an eye out if I was you. She's probably not too far away from the bat brat."_

"Black Widow?" The man questioned, anticipation filling him.

"_Widow?" _Sandman asked, baffled. _"She's been gone for years."_

He gave a frustrated grunt as he bent over Robin to remove his utility belt and any other gadgets he could find. "That's who I told you to knock off, idiot!" he hissed.

"_But I'm telling you, it wasn't Black Widow. Or at least, that's not her name anymore," _Sandman protested.

He paused in probing one of Robin's boots for any weapons. "Spit it out, Sandman. I don't have all damn night to play charades."

"_Black Widow disappeared off the radar several years ago. Spiderman never said why, and I wasn't about to ask. Then one day she turned up again, but she was… different. Older, stronger, faster – more fierce. She moved differently and she'd changed her name,_" Sandman explained. _"But it's the same girl – I'd bet my life on it."_

The man glanced over at the two people below him once more, suspicion growing. "Does she favor a blood red cape these days?"

"_How'd you know?"_

"Never mind that. Just get down here now," he cut off the transmission and put the communicator back in his pocket. From another, he pulled a long coil of rope and set to restraining Robin securely. Soon, very soon, he'd finally get to have the long awaited talk with his "father". He smirked and thought,_ This has been a long time in coming, Bruce. Time for the black bat of the family to come home._


	17. The Next Generation of Spiders

_Hi! ^_^ So, this chapter requires a bit of explanation, I think. Originally, I wasn't going to go this route with these particular characters – Fang would never have a partner, Spiderman would have two sidekicks, blah, blah, blah. But, I suddenly got this crazy little idea nagging at me in the back of my head, and I decided 'screw it, I'm going for it', and this is the end result xD Needless to say, the idea kind of ran away with itself. My muse must've really liked this one – why else would it be 26 freaking pages? Seriously! __**26!**__ That's insane! O.o :sigh: Anyway, I hope you enjoy it, and rest assured I will be posting the third part of the "future-story-arc" as I've taken to call it, but it will take some time so be patient please B-) Enjoy!_

**The New Spider in Town**

**17) The Next Generation of Spiders**

"You must think I'm an idiot," Heather stated flatly, pulling on her left red glove. "Seriously – I went to college kid, I have an IQ in the one-thirties, I work for a lab where doing quantum physics is a walk in the park. So tell me, why on earth you thought I would actually fall for this?" She sent her sister a shrewd look.

Audrey frowned, her still babish face scrunching up angrily before she retorted fiercely in the best way she knew how. _I don't think you're stupid – I think you're amazing! I always have. I want to do what you do, to help you. Please, Heather!_

Heather shook her head, pulling on the other glove before sitting down on the bed to slip into her boots. As the mattress squeaked under her, she replied, "I get that you want to be a part of the family business, and that's great, really. But Audrey, you're only a kid. You're way too young to be running around all hours of the night doing what I do. You'll get hurt and I couldn't forgive myself if that happened."

"I'm the same age Dickie was when he started as Robin!" Audrey retorted aloud.

Heather gave a short sigh. "Next time I see him, I'm smacking the crap out of Nightwing for filling your head with stories of the old days," she muttered through tight lips, with a half eye roll. "Dick was a special case," she added a bit louder so Audrey could hear her. "He had more training than you have – he was a pure bred acrobat, in tip top shape even before Batman took him in. You don't know diddly-squat about this stuff!"

Audrey looked tempted to ask what exactly 'diddly-squat' was, but appeared to change her mind. "I can do this! I'm a natural athlete – everyone always says so. I'm way more flexible than either you, or Harry, were at my age – even more than Harry is now. Plus my spider senses are stronger. I can handle it!"

Heather took a deep breath and turned fully to the little girl standing at the foot of the bed, clutching a personalized gymnast uniform in her hand. Audrey's young dark eyes were wide, red lips pouting as she pleaded her case. The vigilante's eyes took in the perfect ringlet curls adorning her baby sister's head, the tiny dimples in both flushed cheeks, the still chubby legs.

How could Heather possibly agree to this? Harry was one thing – he was already in high school when his powers came out full force, and he at least was being mentored by their father. This was completely different. Audrey was only eight and a half years old, almost nine. She was so innocent – the only thing guiding her were the morals of right and wrong that their parents had instilled in her, with no other practical, real world experiences to compare with. She was small, even for her age. Audrey was smart, very smart, but even she had trouble comprehending the more complex aspects of the world; seeing things as purely black and white, good and bad. Grey areas didn't exist, they simply baffled her.

And then there was the other reason... Heather broke eye contact as the thought came to her, and she tried to shove it away forcefully.

Almost as if reading her older sister's mind, Audrey suddenly scowled and declared, "Don't you dare say it's because I'm deaf. That's a low blow and we both know it! Echo is deaf and Daredevil is blind – what makes me any different from them?"

Heather pinched the bridge of her nose with a thumb and forefinger. "I didn't say that, did I?"

"No. But you thought it," The eight-year-old accused, looking away. She rubbed her suddenly wet eyes, trying to hide the angry, hurt tears.

Finally managing to pull on her other boot, Heather stood from the creaking mattress and went over to kneel in front of Audrey. She placed gentle hands on the girl's small shoulders, making the brunette look up. Audrey's anger diminished at the worry shining in Heather's blue eyes.

_I could do it,_ Audrey signed with a frown. _I really could. Please don't be like Daddy and shoot me down before I at least try._

Heather winced. She'd had a feeling Audrey had already made this case to their father before asking to come and sleep over for the night. Fang receiving a call of a museum robbery in progress over the police scanner was pure chance, but it seemed to have given her little sister the opening she'd been looking for. Although Heather had no doubts that Audrey would have brought it up anyway.

_I know you think you can – and part of me would love to think that you'd be fine. Anything you've put your mind to, you've always succeeded in. It's something that I love about you._ Heather stroked Audrey's baby soft cheek with a small smile. She then gave a sigh. _But it doesn't change the fact that you're still an eight year-old little girl, who, with the exception of spending the last two summers in gymnastics camp and watching Dad work with Harry, doesn't know the first thing about fighting crime. It's too dangerous for you to come with me tonight._

_I won't get in the way, I promise! I'll just watch you, I won't fight. I'll stay in the shadows the whole time – no one will see me. Just,_ Audrey's deft fingers faltered as a tear slipped unbidden down her face. She blinked furiously and finished her thought. _Just let me try. Please. I've never wanted anything as much as I want this!_

"I know, baby girl, I know," Heather murmured. "But not tonight. It's too risky." She pressed a kiss to her sister's forehead. "I have to go, or I'll never catch up with them. Stay here, lock the door, don't answer it or the phone for anyone unless it's me, and when I get back we'll do whatever you want. I promise."

Heather stood up fluidly and strode to the secret closet which held the rest of her suit and gadgets. Grabbing her cape, she swung it behind her and fastened it into place over her collarbone. Picking up the red belt, she checked the pockets to make sure she had her favorite goodies before clicking it around her hips. Finally, she plucked the domino mask from its stand and slipped it onto her face, flipping her hood up as the final touch.

Audrey, sniffling a bit, watched as Fang slipped out of the window and swung out over the street on a webline. Hurrying over, she leaned out and stared in awe as Fang moved gracefully through the air, moving towards the sound of police sirens. Moving back inside, Audrey wiped her face clean of any tears or snot and stared at the costume in her hands.

It was the uniform she wore for her gymnast routines; silvery white, long-sleeved and with a small ruffled red skirt around the bottom. She'd asked Momma to make her red gloves to match the skirt, so she could wear it on Halloween – or so she'd claimed. She also had red Converse tennis shoes in her backpack to go with the outfit.

Audrey glanced at the secret closet, which Heather had forgotten to close in her haste. There were several replacement items inside – extra boots, more gloves, and a small mesh sack filled with spider bombs (exploding, freezing or smoke) that Fang had designed, among other things. There were also several spare masks.

_I really shouldn't_, Audrey thought, biting her lip. _Heather would get really, really mad at me. Daddy and Momma would too, and Harry wouldn't ever stop teasing me if I got caught… but, if I didn't get caught – if I just went, and really stayed hidden like I promised, they wouldn't have to know. I could get back before Heather get's home. She couldn't be mad if she didn't know. I wouldn't be in trouble and I'd still get to watch her, maybe even help a little bit._

A smile was growing on her face at the idea. _It's just a robbery, right? Daddy says those are usually really easy – Harry says they're boring even. I could do it. I could really do it!_ She giggled aloud in her excitement, quickly snatching one of her big sister's domino masks before running to grab the Converse in her backpack. _This is going to be so cool!_

FxSGxF

Fang had observed from the roof as officers inspected the crime scene at the Metropolitan Museum. Someone had stolen an ornate crystal ball, a famous magician's hat and an escape artist's box, all worth a considerable sum of money, that were part of a traveling display showcasing the early history of the Ringling Brother's Circus.

_Who would want this stuff? _Fang wondered, slipping into detective mode. _They could've just been after the money from the items, but why not steal stuff that's smaller and easier to pawn? This museum is full of precious gems, priceless paintings and ancient artifacts. Why the illusionist theme?_

Fang silently lifted the glass skylight. She placed one foot in and paused, swiveling her head around to look behind her. She frowned and squinted in the darkness, but there was nothing. _Weird, I could've sworn I felt something, or even heard a footfall…_ She shook her head and slipped inside, using the catwalks in the high ceiling to move around. She paused over the chief of police as he talked with another officer.

"There's nothing Chief – no prints, no fibers, no hair, nothing. We can't even tell how the guy got in – no sign of forced entry. The only way we know he was here at all is because the silent alarm the curator just had installed was tripped," the officer complained, rubbing his neck.

Chief Tomalin nodded thoughtfully. "Aren't there any guards here? And did we at least get anything on surveillance?"

"They were all either knocked out or they were in the opposite end of the building and had no idea what was going on until we showed up. CSI's checking the tapes now."

Fang pursed her lips and stood, hurrying along the catwalks to where she knew the guard's security office was. Once above the doorway, she retracted her cape to be as long as her shoulder blades then jumped from the platform and landed on the wall with hardly a sound. Gripping the vertical surface firmly, she eased down until she was hanging directly over the door. Inside she could hear several voices talking.

"Back, back, back – there! Stop there."

"I'm stopping it, already, Hal."

"What is that?" There was a creaking noise, like someone was leaning forward in their chair.

"Not sure, the picture's too pixilated. Can you clean that up, Maggie?" Hal said.

"I can try," Maggie replied and several seconds of intense typing ensued.

"Better," the third person said. "But not great."

"I'm not a magician, Arnie," Maggie complained. "That's as clear as I can get it."

"That's alright, Mags, this is good enough. Play it through," Hal commanded. There was a click and then all three voices went silent as they no doubt were concentrating on the security footage.

Eventually, Arnie spoke up. "What was that, anyhow? I've never seen anything like that."

"Stupid rookies," Maggie muttered exasperatedly. "That's Mysterio."

"Who?"

"One of our main costumed bad guys. He's been a thorn in our side for awhile now," Hal explained.

"Well we got him now on tape. Why don't we just go bust down his door and arrest his ass?" Arnie demanded.

"Because he's not like every other normal crook, you dolt," Maggie replied. "He's a special breed."

"He specializes in illusions and advanced technology to do what he wants. We've never been able to bring him in using purely police power. We usually leave his kind to the capes," Hal went on.

"Capes?" Arnie snorted derisively. "Come on! They're glory hounds and cowards. Why else would they wear masks?"

Fang, sensing that now would be as good of a time as ever to drop in, released her grip on the wall and fell into a flip before landing gracefully. She clicked her cape and it fluttered down to her ankles, swishing around her legs as she strode into the room.

"Because it keeps our families safe," she answered, her voice dropping into a rolling, throaty rasp.

The three CSI's in the room started and turned. The tall, lean brunette man standing the farthest away smiled in recognition of the vigilante, blue eyes intense but friendly. The blonde woman seated at the bank of monitors, no doubt Maggie, sat up straighter, brown eyes alert and shrewd as they took Fang's presence in. The last man, just as tall as the first but more husky in stature and black haired, glared hotly through narrowed green eyes.

"Ah, and so she rises again. Evening Fang," The brunette man said.

Fang smirked, "Hello Hal, Maggie. Who's your friend? He doesn't seem to like me much," she remarked drily, ignoring the burning glower she was receiving.

"Fang," Maggie nodded cautiously. "This is Arnie Colte. He just transferred here from Los Angeles. He still doesn't quite understand how we do things here." Her mouth twisted in distaste.

Fang shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sure he'll figure it out soon. Won't you, Mr. Colte?" She asked benevolently.

Arnie's clenched fists shook as he stared at the heroine. "Smug, aren't ya? You heroes are all the same. Thinkin' you're all that because you can shoot lasers from your eyes or lift up a car. You're freaks – that's what you are! You and the mutants, you're all alike; trying to take over the world by getting us to trust you, putting a few criminals away here and there. But I know what you're doing. Some day you'll change your tune and we'll all be sorry. Except me – I ain't never going to fall for your act, missy!"

Fang tilted her head, glad that her hood hid most of her face so the arrogant, delusional cop wouldn't see the flush of anger in her cheeks. "Are you quite done?" She inquired calmly.

Arnie's sweating face turned four shades of red. He pulled back his fist and let it loose with a small roar. Fang didn't even blink as she moved her head to one side and caught his large fist in her smaller palm. Holding the shaking appendage steady, she shook her head. "Seriously? Now what was that supposed to accomplish? Do you even know who I am?"

"Arnie, cool it!" Hal commanded sharply, laying a heavy hand on the man's shoulder. "That's an order. Fang is on our side, always has been. She, Spiderman and the Fantastic Four all work closely with the NYPD to keep the special, themed criminals in check."

Arnie tried to shrug him off, yanking his hand back from Fang's grasp with a fierce glare. Hal's grip, however, tightened. He said, "They're the only ones who can do the job and I'm not about to let you ruin that working relationship. Stand down, _now_, or you're off this case."

Arnie gritted his teeth, staring down his boss now, but Hal didn't waver. Finally, Arnie dropped his eyes and muttered, "Stinkin' capes. They ain't cops. Never were, never will be." Once Hal let go, Arnie sulked off back towards the main crime scene, sending one last ugly look at Fang.

"I pity the woman who falls in love with that schmuck," Fang remarked.

"He's married," Maggie replied turning back to the computers as her mouth twitched.

Fang shook her head. "And I thought I'd seen it all," she said, but let it go. "I couldn't help overhearing earlier. You said Mysterio was on the tapes?"

"See for yourself," Hal invited, gesturing at the monitor.

Fang leaned forward and narrowed her eyes, watching the playback of Mysterio appearing in front of the circus display in a cloud of smoke and as he proceeded to make each item vanish from its case with a snap of his fingers and the swirl of smoke. "It's him alright. Not sure how he pulled that trick off, but either way it's very affective. Was there anything around or in the cases? Any kind of tampering with the glass or the alarms?"

Hal shook his head. "I had my team go over those cases with a fine-tooth comb twice. Nothing. The glass was in place, unharmed. Only the silent alarm when he stepped too close to one of the displays was tripped. The rest were fine."

"The guards?" Fang questioned.

"Either knocked out or unaware of what was happening. I was there for each interview myself – they didn't hear or see a thing," Hal said, confirming what she'd already overheard from the Chief.

"What would he want with that old junk, anyhow?" Maggie asked no one in particular.

"Mysterio, even though his tricks are all smoke and mirrors, fancy technology mocked up to look like magic, is a great admirer of the true art of illusion. It's quite possible he either wanted to learn from old masters, find out how the tricks worked and adapt them for his own use, or he just needed the cash." Fang activated the holo-computer in her right glove and pulled a USB cord from it, plugging it into the security computer. She tapped a few commands in and the system made a copy of the footage from all angles and began downloading it for analysis. "Either way, I still need to find him. He's got at least a twenty minute head start on me. I need to get going. Thanks again for your help."

Hal nodded. "No trouble. Without you and the others, we'd never be able to keep these loonies in check."

Maggie snorted. "At least it was Mysterio. I hate that Hobgoblin guy. Gives me the chills."

Fang smirked to herself. "You think he's bad, ask Gotham PD about the Joker. You won't be able to sleep for a week."

With that cheerful remark, Fang left the room and shot a webline to the ceiling, using the catwalks to retrace her steps back to the skylight. Once on the roof, she closed the window behind her and brought her computer back up, checking the status of the analysis of the tapes.

"Oh where, oh where has my dear magician gone?" Fang murmured. She tapped at the screen and the computer brought up a three-sixty degree view from the compiling of all the camera angles. Rotating it with one finger, she studied the tape once more.

"Hello, what's this?" Zooming in, she spotted a small bit of paper stuck to Mysterio's boot with writing on it. _Let's see if we can't enhance that._ Typing in several commands, the paper was enlarged and cleared up until the words were more easily readable.

_Acme Warehouses,_ Fang smirked. _Gotcha._

Closing the holo-computer, she adjusted her hood and started to leave, but paused, listening to the pulse of the city at night. Maybe she was just getting paranoid, but she could have sworn she heard something scraping on the asphalt of the roof a few feet away. When she looked though, there was nothing and soon her attention was diverted by the sounds of the police packing up and leaving, as squad car doors slammed shut and the red and blue lights were flipped on.

_It's nothing, Fang, _she chided herself. _You're getting jumpy. You're probably just worried about Audrey being alone at the apartment, but she's fine. She's probably watching one of her Barbie movies and eating the popcorn we made. Focus on the job and you'll be home in no time. _With that admonishment firmly placed in mind, Fang left the museum behind and swung out towards the Hudson River where the warehouse, and her target, was located.

FxSGxF

Audrey, dressed in the silver-white and red uniform, crouched behind an air vent and watched her sister work. When Fang had disappeared inside the museum, Audrey had followed enthusiastically at first. However, when the heroine had paused, cocking her head like she'd heard a noise, Audrey accordingly changed her pace and moved more stealthily, her Converse clad feet moving silently like Dickie had shown her.

She mentally congratulated herself on making it inside without being noticed, and on listening in to the conversation between Fang and the CSI team undetected. She'd had to scramble though when Fang left the museum as her sister's pace had increased.

Back on the roof, Audrey observed in puzzlement as Fang muttered to herself and messed with the computer in her glove. Moving closer, she was just in time to see Fang smile and catch sight of the name "Acme Warehouses" on the screen before the vigilante was racing off to a new destination.

Audrey squatted paralyzed in the dark. Should she follow? Or go back to the apartment now? If she went, there was a chance she'd get caught. But if she went back now, she wouldn't know what happened and Heather probably wouldn't talk about it. Go or stay?

Audrey frowned stubbornly. _I'll just stay for a little longer. Just until I see what happens – then I'll go back._ Having decided, Audrey stood up ran across the roof of the museum, following Fang's path. At the parapet, she took a deep breath and flicked her wrist out, shooting a webline onto a building across the street and jumped.

An involuntary, exhilarated giggle escaped her mouth as she swung along, keeping several blocks behind Fang so as not to be spotted.

Once, when she was really little, Miss Martian had given her a ride, flying around as her family watched. The memory was a little vague, but the one thing she remembered clearly was this feeling – of freeness and pure joy as the weight of gravity disappeared and it was just her and the sky. This was one of the reasons that she wanted to be a hero so badly. Of course she wanted to take down the bad guys and keep people safe, that was the main reason – but she also wanted to experience this sensation, over and over again. Free and happy, with not a care in the world. To soar like a shooting star through the city.

Audrey's joy subsided slightly as a nagging doubt entered her mind. _I just wish Daddy and Heather would understand – maybe then they'd let me fight._

FxSGxF

Fang landed on the warehouse with the grace of an Olympic gymnast. She hurried over to a large air vent and quickly pried the grill off the front, slipping through feet first. The vent curved downward to begin with before ending at a long horizontal section that branched out through the building. She quickly secured a web to the top of the vent and tied the silk around her waist before falling down the shaft. The line stopped her just above the bottom, allowing her to cut it and crawl noiselessly through the air system towards where the schematics on her holo-screen showed the main juncture. Once there, she peered through the grill in the bottom of the shaft and looked around.

Fang smirked. _Ah, my favorite magic man, you never disappoint,_ she thought. Below her on the warehouse floor, Mysterio leaned over a work table strewn with bits and pieces of tech, no doubt manufacturing his next trick. A few yards away on several display platforms were the missing magician's hat, crystal ball and escape artist's box. _Bingo._

Pulling a small laser from her utility belt, Fang quietly and quickly removed the vent plate, pulling it up and placing it inside the vent. Crawling out through the narrow hole, she sneaked across the support beams of the ceiling until she was directly over Mysterio.

"Yes," she heard him mutter. "This is perfect. With these new components, my machine will be able move me through solid objects without detection. No more setting off alarms! No more skulking around in sewers and through ridiculously small vents and windows! Just in and out in the blink of an eye, with no one the wiser. I'll rob New York blind," he chuckled.

"Don't count your money till it clears the bank, Misty!" Fang chided mockingly. "And by my calculations, you've just bounced a check."

Mysterio started and looked up from his work, his grip on a small soldering tool tightening angrily. "Fang! You bothersome insect! How did you get in here?"

"Please, I'm the master of stealth, the true creature of the night. Lady Justice's own monster," Fang replied in a snarky tone, releasing her grip to flip down to the floor. She stood and fell into a fighting stance, smirking in the shadow of her hood. "Of course I found you. Now are you going to be a good little boy and come quietly, or I am I going to have to teach you a lesson?"

"I'm afraid, dear girl, that it's you who's about to be schooled," Mysterio replied, snapping his fingers. He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Fang tensed, her masked eyes darting around the warehouse for her adversary. She opened her spider senses fully to bring in every minute detail. It was fortunate she did, otherwise she would have missed the sledge hammer levitating behind her head. Dropping into a roll, she narrowly missed the hammer's swing knocking a crater into her skull. Crouching defensively, she waited for the illusionist's next move.

"Perhaps I should invest in a good exterminator – I hear that's the only way to truly rid yourself of pesky vermin," Mysterio's disembodied voice echoed around the warehouse from all directions, driving Fang's spider senses crazy.

_Where is he?! _She thought. Trying to stall for time she said, "What's with the antiques, Mysterio?"

"Oh just little trinkets I found useful to my plan," Mysterio replied carefully, his tone deceptively light.

"Would that be the plan where you try and, what was the phrase? Rob the city blind?" Fang asked icily, turning in a wary circle to try and let her senses pinpoint the villain's location.

"Oh darn," Mysterio said in a mock dejected tone. "You've uncovered my nefarious plot. Whatever shall I do?"

"Wasn't hard, considering you were proclaiming it to the high heavens," Fang retorted.

"Ah yes, I'm afraid the tendency to monologue, even to one's self, is a dangerous habit to fall into in this line of work," Mysterio responded regretfully.

_Just a bit to the left, I'm sure of it,_ Fang thought, moving closer to what seemed to be the source of Mysterio's voice. "You'd think you guys would learn from your predecessors. The sad fact is, you villains are all alike – you always make the same stupid mistakes." She grinned, "Like, for instance, hiding behind a wall of crates where you can project your voice over the speakers rigged inside this warehouse, while controlling all your little gadgets as I search for you blindly. Yeah, like that ever works."

With a fierce grunt, Fang punched through the crate wall and found… her sister. "What the –?!"

Audrey, her eyes discernibly wide even behind the mask, visibly swallowed. "Uh… hey, Fang, what's up?" she asked uncertainly.

"Au – kid what are you doing here?" Fang demanded, barely catching herself from blurting out her sister's real name.

"Well you know, I was um, in the neighborhood," Audrey chuckled weakly, rubbing her arm.

"_Who_ is this? One of the X-Men's brats?" Mysterio demanded.

Fang thought quickly. "Just some kid playing hero. She's not important. Now why don't you come out here and face me like a man?" She challenged, trying to divert attention from the small girl crouching in front of her.

"Oh on the contrary," the grin in Mysterio's voice was unmistakable. "I think she's _very_ important. In fact I think she's a perfect candidate to try out my latest trick."

Audrey gave a small shriek as small gargoyle like creatures appeared from a cloud of smoke and grabbed her. "Get off me! Get off me!" she cried, yanking at the ones holding her arms.

"Hang on kid," Fang said tersely, pulling a spider shaped boomerang from her belt. With careful aim, she threw it at the gargoyles, breaking several and revealing the hardware underneath their detailed exteriors. Before she could throw another, a dozen more appeared and began grabbing at her limbs or throwing electrical shocks at her.

"They're robots?" Audrey questioned incredulously. With sudden grim determination, she kicked violently at several attempting to grab her legs, shattering several automatons on impact and sending others crashing into the concrete below. That left two gripping her by the shoulders. They started to fly her further up to a room used by machinists to oversee work in the warehouse.

"Oh no you don't. Hi-ya!" With a high kick, Audrey smashed the gargoyle gripping her left shoulder. The gargoyle on the right soon followed when she punched it solidly into a wall. With nothing left holding her up, she plummeted to the floor, two stories below.

"Hang on kid, I'll be right there," Fang shouted as she fought off another legion of gargoyle robots.

"Don't worry, I got it," Audrey responded easily, shifting her body. She aimed her fall towards a tower of crates, slamming into them with her feet and pushing off to head for another. She bounced off the sky scrapers of equipment until she reached the ground floor, rolling across it to land in a tight crouch.

"Ha!" She said, grinning triumphantly. "That was fun."

"Then try this toy on for size," Mysterio abruptly appeared above the sisters and pressed a button on a small remote.

The mechanical claw normally used for moving heavy pieces around the warehouse came to live with a roar. Moving faster than would be expected, it reached down and grabbed Audrey, gripping her tightly as it lifted her up to be eye-to-eye with Mysterio.

"Hello my dear," he cooed, stroking her cheek.

Struggling vainly in the hold of the claw, Audrey recoiled from his touch and spat in his face.

With one finger, he wiped the spit from the globe on his head. "Hmm, didn't your Mommy teach you that's impolite," Mysterio asked coldly.

"Leave her alone!" Fang yelled, still struggling against the gargoyles. "It's me you want, not a little kid."

"Oh make no mistake," he replied conversationally as the claw tightened around Audrey. "I'd revel in your demise, but as I recall, you heroes are suckers for saving damsels and children in distress. As this nuisance is both, I believe she'd work very well for my purposes as a hostage."

"Go jump in the East River, fishbowl head!" Audrey snapped. Flicking her wrist, she snatched the remote from Mysterio's hand and pressed the smaller of the two buttons on it. The claw powered down and released its hold, letting Audrey drop to the floor.

"Ugh! Another insect – you're multiplying! What's this one? Fang Junior? Baby Fang?" Mysterio mocked.

Audrey grinned. "Actually, it's Spider-Girl, and I'm about to knock you down a peg," she held up the remote and gleefully clicked the big red button.

The claw that had previously turned off restarted and reached out, gripping an unaware Mysterio and pinning his arms to his sides. "No! Let go!"

"I think you need a time out," Spider-Girl said smugly, folding her arms. "You've been a very bad boy, Mr. Fishbowl Head."

Fang kicked the last gargoyle aside and rolled her neck. "I hate these things," she muttered. Looking up, the shadows hid her expression, but her tone was clearly incensed as she descended on the younger Meta.

Spider-Girl backed up nervously, fiddling with her hair. "Uh, hehe, hi. Uh, great job, partner?"

"What were you thinking?" Fang exploded. "Oh wait, let me guess. You weren't! You could have gotten yourself killed."

"I, I just wanted to help," Spider-Girl said weakly, looking down.

Fang looked like she was going to say more, when she suddenly sighed. In a tight voice, she said, "We'll discuss this further back at headquarters. First, we have to collect Mysterio's work, turn him over to the police and make sure these artifacts get back to the museum."

"I can call the cops!" Spider-Girl immediately offered, endeavoring to be as cooperative as possible. She figured it couldn't hurt her cause.

"Do that," Fang ordered evenly. "I'll download his data."

"Yes, ma'am," Spider-Girl nodded quickly, hurrying to a small office where she'd spotted a phone when she was sneaking in. Unlike her sister, she'd gone for the direct approach. What kind of bad guy didn't lock the front door or have any security cameras anyway?

Fang pulled out her USB cord and plugged it into the laptop running on the desk. Clicking a few buttons, she began copying the hard drive. While waiting for it to load, she glanced over at the display cases. "Seriously, Misty, what's with the junk? You can't honestly expect me to believe that you were just feeling nostalgic."

"Of course not," Mysterio snapped sulkily. "They were the last components in my master plan."

"Right, the whole _'bringing the city to its knees'_ plot – how's that going so far?" She goaded with a tiny smile.

"It's hit a slight speed bump," he admitted. "But I assure you, when I get done, I'll be having the last laugh."

"Sure, sure, whatever makes you happy, dude. You'll need to be able to hold onto that sense of humor where you're going. Your cell at the Vault has been lonely without you," the superhero said, finishing the download.

"I'm afraid it's going to have to suffer for awhile longer without me," the rogue said from right behind her.

Fang whirled around but was unable to stop Mysterio as he jabbed a taser into her midsection. With a sharp gasp and a grunt, she twitched as bolts of electricity coursed through her body. It was over in seconds, but the damage was done. Moaning softly the vigilante collapsed in a heap on the concrete floor, out cold.

FxSGxF

Audrey finally located the phone she'd seen on the way in. She picked up the handset and listened for a dial tone before calling 911.

_Ring. Ring. Ring. "Nine-one-one, what is your emergency?_"

"Uh," she hesitated a moment, thinking up a way to phrase her tip without the police linking it back to her or her sister. "I saw a bad guy in the warehouse district, at the _Acme Warehouse_."

"_Alright, Sweetie,_" the operator said kindly. _"What did he look like?"_

"He's one of those bad guys that wear a costume. I think his name is Mystery or something like that. I saw Fang beat him up and she told me to call the police." _Only a half lie, right?_ Audrey reasoned.

"_Okay honey, I'll send some officers down there to look. You should probably get home to your family. It's late and they may be looking for you,"_ he reassured her.

"Okay, I will. Thank you. Bye," Spider-Girl hung up the phone and tried not to sigh. "Why do adults always talk to kids like that? It's really annoying," she murmured to herself. "I better go tell Fang that they're coming."

Spider-Girl hurried back down the maze of hallways towards the main room. _I just hope she won't be too mad at me when this is all over,_ she thought nervously. _I only wanted to help, and we caught what's-his-face – that'll give me some points, right?_

Before she could think more about it, something caught her foot and she tripped, sprawling headlong across the floor. _What in the name of Thor?_ She wondered. Looking down at her feet she rolled her eyes. _Some hero I am. My shoelace was untied. I'll ask Momma for boots when we go shopping next time – tennis shoes weren't my best idea._ With a sigh, she sat up and carefully retied her shoes, making sure to double knot them so she wouldn't trip again.

Getting up again she resumed course back to where she'd left her sister and the hero's foe. Rounding a tower of crates, she stopped short and stifled a gasp. Mysterio, now inexplicably free, was strapping an unconscious Fang into a straight jacket and locking her in the escape artist's box he'd stolen from the museum. Ducking behind a column, Spider-Girl watched as Mysterio closed the box which encased Fang's whole body aside from her head and locked it with large, thick padlocks.

Slowly, Fang shook her head as she came to. Spider-Girl barely discerned her drowsy mumble. "Wha? What ha-happened?"

"Glad you decided to join me, Fang. They say this old contraption was designed by Houdini himself and he was the only one able to escape it. Why don't we test that theory?" Mysterio chuckled, tapping several commands into his keyboard.

Behind them, a giant cylinder opened revealing a tank full of water. Mysterio punched in another command and the giant claw grabbed the box holding Fang and lifted it, carrying it over to the tank. "I wonder if spiders can swim?" he pondered aloud, laughing at his own joke.

"You're, you're not going to get away with this," Fang said feebly. "I'm not alone, remember?"

"Oh please, by now that little brat is long gone from here and she's not coming back. Face it, you are all alone," Mysterio said scornfully.

"I'm well known in the hero community," Fang replied, trying a new tactic. "An honorary member of the X-Men, an associate of the Avengers, friends with the police commissioner and the district attorney both here and in Gotham – I'm part of the freaking _Justice League_. The repercussions will never end for you – you'll be hunted like an animal forever."

Mysterio shrugged. "So be it. But they'll have to catch me first. And my dear, when my latest creations are completed and my fortune made, Superman will not be able to stop me and not even Batman will know where to find me. It's been an honor to be your adversary, my dear Fang. See you in the next life." He hit one button on the computer and the claw began lowering into the tank.

_I have to do something! _Spider-Girl thought, fighting back panic. _The police won't be here for another twenty minutes and I don't have time to call Daddy and explain! It, it's up to me... _She swallowed,_ Captain America help me._

Gazing around, Spider-Girl spotted Fang's utility belt lying on a table nearby. She'd watched her sister practice with that belt a million times – she knew every gadget in it and what pocket it was stored in. If she could just get to it, maybe she could find something to distract Mysterio long enough to free Heather.

_Okay, I'll just use those new long tumbles I learned this past summer and use some of those sneaking around tips Dickie and Harry gave me... piece of cake._ Her face set with determination, Spider-Girl moved from hiding spot to hiding spot like a shadow shifting as the sun moves across the sky. The table holding Fang's belt was right behind Mysterio. From this angle, she could clearly see how much her sister was struggling to free herself. It was bad enough being locked in that box – Audrey had a feeling that straight jacket wasn't helping matters.

_Just like stealing cookies at Aunt May's house – slow and steady wins the race,_ Spider-Girl took a deep silent breath and reached up bit by bit. After an eternity, her fingers brushed against the familiar oval shape of the main compartment on the belt. _Yes!_ Smiling slightly, Audrey grasped the belt and quickly pulled it towards her.

Unfortunately, she didn't see the screwdriver lying next to it. As she pulled on the belt, the tool was knocked into and it rolled across the table before falling off the edge with a clatter.

Mysterio started at the noise, whirling around. "You!" He cried when he spotted her.

"Aw, pickle puss," Spider-Girl muttered. "And just when things were going so well."

Mysterio roared angrily and lunged for the girl hero. She rolled to the side out of reach and ran, heading for the maze of crates and boxes. "Hang on, Fang! I'll have you out of there in just a minute," she called over her shoulder.

Fang glanced down, noticing the waterline was a fourth of the way up her prison. "You better make that a second – I'm not Aquaman you know!"

"On it!" Spider-Girl shouted, rounding another corner.

"Come back here you little brat!" Mysterio yelled.

"No thanks." Spider-Girl ducked under an archway made by some of the crates and slid into an empty container hidden in the shadows. She held her breath as Mysterio ran past her hiding place, but relaxed minutely when he kept going. _That should keep him busy for a little bit,_ she thought.

_Now, which pocket has the freezing capsules and which one has the foamy stuff? It's gotta be one of the ones in the back…_ She poked through the contents of the belt, growing more frustrated. _Did she move everything when I wasn't watching? The smoke pellets should be third from the center on the left, not the right! Oh wait…_ she mentally slapped herself, realizing that she was holding the belt upside down.

Quickly correcting her mistake, she began counting pockets going clockwise. _Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen… here!_ She triumphantly held up the blue capsules containing the freezing agent. In the pocket after that, she found the green capsules that would make quickly expanding polyurethane foam. _Now I just need to catch Mr. Fishbowl Head when he's not looking… right, I can do this. I think._

Spider-Girl reached up and tapped at her ears, adjusting her hearing aids until they were off. _I need to rely solely on my spider sense – if I try and hear everything, I'll just get distracted._ Taking a deep breath, she clicked Fang's belt around her torso, wearing it like a sash as her waist was much too small still, and slowly crawled from her hiding place. In the pure silence, she let her senses open fully.

Two rows down to the left, Mysterio was still looking for her, his footsteps heavy with anger. To her right, the way she came, she could feel the vibrations of the crane's motor running. She could sense the water sloshing and rippling in the tank, while the box Fang was still struggling in sank more and more. She had less than five minutes before her sister would drown.

Turning around, she saw that the crates in this part of the warehouse were stacked less neatly, making small gaps and footholds. Using both the fine hairs on her fingers for grip and the rock-wall-like structure, she started climbing. In record time, she reached the top and glanced around in the dark.

The area holding the crane and tank were well lit, but the rest of the cavernous room was complete darkness. Focusing in though, she could just make out a bobbing glint below her, which she assumed was Mysterio's globe head. He was less than twenty feet away and getting closer. If he decided to look up, she'd be toast.

The fastest way back to where she came from would be to use her weblines, but she'd be spotted for sure. On the other hand, if she tried running around on the crates or the floor, she'd be caught before making it. Finally deciding speed was essential Spider-Girl shot a line up to the rafters and pulled herself up. From this altitude, she cast caution to the wind and sprinted along the catwalks, jumping and weaving as she went.

Soon she was standing on a catwalk high over the tank. "Oh no," she whispered. Below her, the box was submerged three-fourths of the way and it seemed to be sinking even faster. _I was just going to freeze the tank so Heather could break out of the box. But if I freeze it now, she'll be stuck in the ice. What to do, what to do?_

Her spider senses abruptly spiked, and she ducked reflexively. Mysterio flew over her head, having obviously been trying to grab her. He turned back to her and shook his fist angrily. She cocked her head to the side. As she couldn't see his face and her hearing aids were still off, she couldn't hear a word of his rant, but if she had to guess, it probably was something like, "blah-blah-blah, you little brat, blah-blah-blah, I'll get you for this, blah-blah-blah, I'm going to kill you and your friend, blah-blah-blah, I will bring the city to its knees."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Mr. Fishbowl Head," Spider-Girl said, unknowingly cutting off the villain's speech. She put her hands on her tiny hips. "I have no idea what you just said – but your wrong because you're the bad guy, I'm right as the good guy and that's all there is to it!" She grinned.

"Now that we've covered that," she went on, ignorant of the new tirade he'd started. "I need you to hold something for me. Here – catch!" With a throw that would make any baseball lover applaud, Spider-Girl pitched the green capsule, hitting the rogue square in the chest.

The capsule exploded on impact and quickly expanded, encasing the technology magician in polyurethane foam. He plummeted to the floor below, and while the foam held up to the impact, the sphere on his head wasn't as lucky. With a crack, it shattered revealing a man in his mid-forties with blonde hair.

"That takes care of you," Spider-Girl remarked. She looked over at Fang and could see she was trying to tell her something, but she was speaking too fast. "Hang on, hang on, I can't hear you!" She reached up and quickly adjusted the small gadgets in her ears.

Fang's voice came in loud and urgent, the waterline now up to her neck. "Get to the computer! It can shut down the crane."

"Got it," with a flying leap, Spider-Girl freefell to the concrete below, shooting a webline at a column to slow her descent and shift into a graceful arc rather than a deadly plunge. Once she was low enough, she let go of her web and rolled across the floor, stopping near the table holding the computer. Hurrying over, she scanned the screen.

"Okay, 'Stop Crane: Press Enter To…' Um… what does de-act-i-vate mean?" She queried uncertainly.

"I'll give you the dictionary definition later. Just hit enter!" Fang snapped, tilting her head back as far as she could, the water now at her chin.

Needing no further prodding, Audrey punched the button, and the crane's gears quit whirring. Heather and Audrey both sighed in relief.

"Okay, now do you see anywhere on the screen where it says how to move it the other way?" Fang asked calmly, trying not to swallow any water.

Spider-Girl stared uncertainly at the screen. "Uh... does 'To Reverse the Pol-air-rit-ty By Pressing the Shift Key' mean it'll take you back up?" she questioned.

"Yes, that's it."

"Then yeah, it says that," the younger girl replied, pressing the appropriate button and slowly the crane started up again but now moving in the opposite direction. Once Heather was out of the tank, the crane carried her back to where it had first picked her up. Audrey hurried over to the trunk-like container, eager to help.

"Alright," Fang flicked a piece of hair out of her vision. "Now in the fifth pocket to the right, there should be a small laser that you can use to get me out of this thing. Try not to cut off your fingers with it."

"Couldn't I just use that key I saw over there and unlock the thingy?" Spider-Girl asked innocently.

Fang colored slightly. "Well sure, if you want to do things the easy way," she mumbled. In short order, the escape artist's box was unlocked and Fang stepped out, wet but otherwise unharmed. There was a heap of white fabric at the bottom of the container.

"What's that?" Spider-Girl pointed at the fabric.

"The straightjacket Mysterio put me in. Apparently Houdini has never met Batman – it took no time at all to get out of that thing. Bat's straightjackets and escape drills were much more complicated and usually more painful," Fang replied drily. "The only real problem was the box. I didn't have enough leverage to break it and I didn't have any tools."

"Oh, here you go!" Spider-Girl cheerfully handed over the older vigilante's belt.

Fang stared at it for a second, wondering at her sister. "Thanks." She clicked it on.

Police red and blue lights were suddenly apparent outside through the high windows. Several car doors opened and slammed shut and hurried footsteps pounded toward the front and back entrances.

"It's about time!" Spider-Girl complained, folding her arms over her chest. "I called those guys forever ago. If I'd waited for them to get here, we'd both be toast."

Fang smirked and pulled her hood back up from where it had fallen around her shoulders, hiding her features in shadows. "Easy tiger, let's just give them a quick statement and call it a night."

Before long, the warehouse was full of policemen and women, some taking pictures, others carefully packing up the stolen antiques from the museum. Two officers approached the vigilantes, and Fang smiled.

"Long time no see, Hal," she said.

Hal shook his head. "I've heard of wrapping up a case fast – but in one night? You outdid yourself, Fang."

Maggie noticed her wet clothes. "What happened to you?"

"Took a late night swim," Fang said wryly.

"Ahem," Spider-Girl tugged on Fang's cape, her expression expectant.

"Who's the kid?" Maggie asked.

Fang frowned. "Oh, she's uh…"

"I'm Spider-Girl!" Audrey declared with an adorable grin.

"I thought you hated kids?" Hal questioned, his mouth tugging at the corners.

Fang folded her arms and looked away. "I never said that." She glanced back, and sighed as she realized the two CSI officers weren't going to let it go at that. "She's my… new partner."

Spider-Girl looked up, stunned and suddenly hopeful. They locked eyes, an understanding passing between them. If possible, Audrey's smile only got bigger. "Yeah, I'm Fang's new partner," she added with a nod.

Hal and Maggie exchanged bemused looks.

"Okay," Hal said slowly. "Fang can I talk to you for a second? Maggie, could you take, uh, Spider-Girl's statement?"

Maggie nodded. "I'm on it. Sweetie, why don't we sit over here and you can tell me what happened?"

"Sure," Spider-Girl answered distractedly, a wrinkle appearing in her forehead as she stared at her sister, even as Maggie led her a few yards away.

Hal took Fang's elbow and steered her in the opposite direction. He stopped once he was sure that they wouldn't be overheard. "Fang, I admire you and I appreciate all the help you give us, really. But, come on, you said yourself you'd never take a partner. And she's a kid – can't be older than ten."

"I know what I said, Hal, and I appreciate the concern but I know what I'm doing," Fang replied firmly. "She's young and raw, but she's got a good heart. She can do this. And if she ever decides she doesn't want to anymore, I won't stand in her way."

"She's a child, Fang," Hal insisted frowning. He gestured at where his officer and Audrey were talking. "She could get hurt – killed even. Are you willing to take that risk?"

Fang was silent for a moment, staring at her sister as she patiently answered questions. "We all take that risk, Hal. You, me, even the League could all be killed at any time in this business. It doesn't stop us. I know for a fact that even if I forbade her from coming, she'd just go and work on her own, and that would be twice the risk. I have to let her do this."

She smirked suddenly. "She actually reminds me of someone else I know that started fighting crime at her age – he's had ups and downs and plenty of battle scars, but he's still going as strong as ever. With a little mentoring and direction, I know she'll do great things too."

Hal sighed and rubbed his neck. "Well, knowing you, there's nothing I can say to change your mind. But I promise you this," he looked up and fixed an intense gaze on her. "If anything happens to that girl, I'm holding you personally responsible. That's a promise, Fang."

She nodded solemnly. "I understand."

FxSGxF

Audrey fidgeted nervously on the couch as her sister paced in front of her, both of them now dressed in civvies and back in Heather's apartment. So far, Heather had been silent the entire way back, and except for telling Audrey to change and wait for her on the couch, she hadn't spoken a word and now just paced tensely back and forth. Audrey had hoped that Heather meant what she said at the warehouse, but she was beginning to think she'd lied to the officers so there wouldn't be any uncomfortable questions. Now that they were alone, Heather had free rein to chew her little sister out before calling their parents.

Audrey wasn't sure which of those scared her more – Fang's cold, scathing voice coming from her sister's mouth, or her parents going nuclear when they found out.

"Aren't – aren't you going to say anything?" The younger of the two sisters questioned softly.

Heather stopped her pacing, facing the window with a blank face.

"I mean," Audrey went on after a moment's hesitation. "I disobeyed you. You told me to stay here, and I went anyway. I followed you to the museum, and the warehouse. I got caught sneaking around. You almost drowned because I didn't listen. Aren't you going to yell and stuff?"

Heather's chest lifted and fell as she inhaled deeply. "Partners don't yell at each other," she finally said, turning back.

Audrey blinked. "Huh?"

Heather smiled. "You wanted to fight crime, didn't you? Well now you can as my partner. Granted, Dad will raise hell over the whole thing and probably won't talk to me for a week, but I've dealt with worse from him. I'll survive somehow."

Audrey's face split into an ear-to-ear grin. Jumping up, she ran and basically tackled her sister to the hardwood floor. Heather grunted softly but hugged her back.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Audrey cried joyfully. "I won't let you down, I promise! I'll do whatever you say. I'll train super, super hard. You'll never have to worry about me. I'll be the best sidekick ever!"

Heather kissed her sister's brown curls, rubbing circles on her back. "I know you will, Audrey. I know."

_AN: So, one last quick thing. Thank you so much to those who have voted already on the poll on my profile, but so far there's one vote for every option but one, so… vote! If you haven't voted people, pretty please do – your opinion matters! And if you have an idea of your own for a new story title, tell me and I'll add it B-)_

_Also, kudos to those who guessed who our mysterious bad guy from last chapter is. I won't spoil it for those who haven't guessed, but you smarty pants out there get homemade cookies of your favorite flavor for getting it right B-D You, my fellow Batman fans, rock! ;D That's all for me – have a great weekend everyone! Bye!_


	18. Kiss Him and Make it Better

_So, this might confuse some of you, and I apologize to those who've found the timeline hard to follow as I skip back and forth. Also, sorry I haven't updated TLH lately – hit a bit of a dry spot in the plot, but I'm working on it :) Thanks to those who've continued to support this story and please keep the reviews coming – they make me smile :D As a side note, I'd also like to remind everyone who hasn't done so to please vote on the poll – so far "What a Web We Weave" is in top spot, with all other choices trailing at one vote each. I think that's pretty much it – thanks to all you lovely readers, and I hope you enjoy! This is set a week after Kaldur and Heather break up, not after he leaves the team._

**18) Kiss Him and Make it Better**

_Warning: This chapter contains adult themed content. Please use good judgment when viewing as this is not appropriate for those aged thirteen and under. Thank you._

Nightcrawler was beyond confused.

On the one hand, he'd been happily surprised when Heather had sent him an email asking him to come see her, sending an address in New York to meet her at. They'd been emailing for awhile, but he'd at times felt that Heather didn't care for him as anything more than a friend, as she did have a boyfriend and Kurt felt completely out of her league. The email changed his mind. But on the other hand, he was really confused. Why now? And wouldn't Aqualad be mad about this? That dude had some serious issues – Kurt had only met him once, but the military like discipline the Atlantian possessed was worrisome. He wondered how Heather, who struck him as such a happy, free spirit, could possibly like the fish boy.

Trying to ignore his doubts and misgivings, Kurt used his powers to transport into New York. The address Heather sent was for an apartment in Manhattan on the Lower East Side. It didn't take long for him to find it. Standing on the steps, he took a deep breath and buzzed her apartment.

After a moment, he heard Heather's voice through the intercom. _"Hello?"_

"Heazher? Hi, it's, uh, me. Kurt. Can I come up?" He could have smacked himself. He sounded like such a bumbling idiot. He fiddled with the holowatch on his wrist, making sure that it was still on.

"_Hey Kurt. Come on up, I'm on the third floor, number 16D."_ Her voice was slightly strained, like she was trying desperately to sound upbeat.

The door buzzed as it unlocked and he went inside, following her instructions. Outside 16D, he knocked on the door. It only took a second for Heather to open it, and Kurt let out a breath.

She looked even more beautiful than the last time he'd seen her. She'd curled her red hair so it framed her heart shaped face delicately. She was wearing makeup that perfectly highlighted her blue eyes and made her lips seem fuller and more enticing. Kurt dropped his eyes to take in the rest of her, his knees nearly giving out. She was wearing a black, off the shoulders cocktail dress that came to her knees, and had a split up her left thigh which nearly reached her hip. Her creamy white legs seemed to go on forever, their length particularly emphasized by the black stiletto heels.

"Hi, Kurt," she said, her voice a low rumble, like the purr of a tiger. "Would you like to come in?"

Kurt swallowed, running a hand through his hair. "Um, ya, sure," he stammered, stepping into the apartment in a daze.

She closed the door behind them and turned, smiling sweetly. "Why don't you take off your jacket and make yourself comfortable? Do you want anything to drink? I've got beer, wine coolers, liquor for mixed drinks, soda…" she raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Kurt vaguely registered as she gently tugged his jacket off and hung it on a peg on the wall, and watched dazedly as she clicked off his holowatch. He couldn't stop staring at her. Why was she dressed like that? For him? Why for him? "Uh, a beer, zhanks," he muttered, thinking the bitter taste might jumpstart his brain back into gear.

"Sure thing," she smirked and turned, sashaying into her tiny kitchen.

Numbly, Kurt sat on the futon and stared at the wall. In his mystified state, he somehow registered that there were several places where nails were sticking out of the walls, but any type of picture frame or decoration was missing.

"Here you go, Kurt," Heather said, appearing next to him, two beers in her hands.

Kurt blinked and slowly took the beverage from her hand. "Danke," he said, unknowingly using his mother tongue to thank her.

"Bitte," she replied in German. _You're welcome._ She settled herself on the couch beside him, crossing her legs.

Kurt swallowed and forced himself not to look below her waist. There was just so much _skin_! "Uh," he cleared his throat, attempting to speak once more without his voice cracking. "So, zhy the sudden invitation?"

Heather smiled innocuously. "Do I need a reason to ask my pen pal to come over and have a cocktail with me?" she asked. He noticed as her eyelashes lowered and fluttered ever so slightly.

Why was it suddenly so difficult to breathe? He took a large gulp of beer, desperately trying to calm his nerves. "Of course not," he finally managed after a second long swallow, wincing as the alcohol burned the back of his throat. "But still, it vas a bit sudden, vasn't it?"

Heather traced the lip of her own bottle with a perfectly manicured finger. "Not really," she murmured. "This has been a long time in coming actually."

Kurt frowned, the haze that had surrounded his mind up until now beginning to clear somewhat at the sadness of her tone. "Vhat do you mean?"

Heather took a deep breath and uncrossed her legs, placing the untouched bottle on the coffee table. She turned him, placing her hands in her lap. She directed her gaze at her palms for a long moment. "You know Kaldur, right?" she asked softly.

Kurt's frown deepened. "Yes. I do. Is zhis about him?"

"In a way," Heather replied. "But it's more about me, I suppose. At least for the moment." She paused. "Kurt, I need to ask you something before I go on. Please be honest with me."

"Of course I vill," Kurt answered immediately, putting down his own drink before gently taking her hands in his. "Vhat is it?"

She looked up through lowered lashes, her face serious but pleading. "Do you like me?" she whispered.

Kurt blinked, glancing down at their joined hands. He finally returned her gaze. "Yes," he said, the words the barest breath.

Heather held his eyes and leaned forward slowly, until their lips were mere centimeters apart. She only halted briefly, before closing the distance. Kurt sucked in a sharp breath through his nose in surprise then his eyes fluttered as he kissed her back, moving his hands up her arms and shoulders to her face, cradling it. Heather wasn't as tentative. As soon as her hands were free, she wrapped her arms around his torso and pulled them closer together. She licked his bottom lip, and he obligingly opened.

They'd been kissing for several seconds when Kurt suddenly reasserted his control and pushed her back onto the cushions, never breaking their oral connection. At this new angle, Heather's leg wrapped around his own and slithered upwards, while one of his hands moved to her hair, tangling his fingers in the locks tightly as the other slid down to grip her hip.

The make-out session continued for several minutes, during which Kurt had lost his shirt and pants, Heather lost her dress, they'd both lost their shoes and they'd somehow ended up in the bedroom on her bed. But suddenly as Heather's fingers began tugging on his boxers, Kurt seemed to snap out of the lust-induced fog he'd been in and pulled back. He released his grip on her waist, pushing down on her shoulder as she tried to recapture his mouth.

"What's wrong?" she murmured huskily, breathing labored.

Kurt gave his head a short shake to focus as his eyes were naturally drawn to her lacy bra. "Heather – ve, vhat are ve doing?" He finally stammered, griping his head. "You have a boyfriend! He'd kill me if he found out."

"No he won't," Heather denied, her eyes still half closed while her hand cupped his neck, attempting to pull his mouth back level with hers.

"How can you say zhat!" Kurt yanked her hand off and sat up, looking away. "Vhy did you ask me to come here? This vill bring bozh of us nozhing but trouble!"

Heather let out a short breath, flicking a stray curl out of her eyes. She sat up and scooted closer, enfolding her arms around his bare torso while she leaned her head on his shoulder. "He won't kill you because he doesn't care about me anymore," she answered softly.

"Vhat do you mean?" Kurt turned his head, yellow eyes locking with her blue ones.

She smiled sadly. "We broke up. He was still in love with someone else, had been for a long time, and I was tired of playing second-fiddle. It happened a week ago. Until tonight, I've been just sitting at home drinking and feeling sorry for myself. That got real old, real fast."

"So, zhis is, vhat? Your vay of getting over him?" Kurt raised an eyebrow.

"Not exactly," she denied, lowering her mouth to his collarbone, leaving a sweet kiss. "More like, post break-up sex with a man I'd hoped actually loved me for the person I am," she explained softly as she left a trail of kisses leading up his neck. "Are you angry now?" she whispered in his ear.

He let out a low sigh, not of frustration, but of pleasure. "To be honest… nein. Strange as it sounds, I'm glad you asked me here tonight. I've liked you for a long time, but I couldn't tell you. I vas afraid. Now, I don't have to be." He smiled and turned towards her, capturing her mouth once more.

The kiss was short, but sweet and meaningful. She smiled when their lips parted. "Me neither."

The rest of the night was spent in loving silence.

Bobby smirked and stared knowingly at Kurt when he returned to the manor the next morning in the same clothes he'd worn the night before. Kurt ignored him, and nodded at Professor Xavier, who smiled and nodded back, and at Wolverine, who didn't react. When Kurt was gone, the two old friends glanced at each other.

"He tell you where he was, Chuck?" Logan asked.

The Professor nodded, tenting his fingers. "He did. But I assume you know already?" he raised one eyebrow.

Logan grunted. "I could smell that spider girl all over him."

Xavier turned his chair and started down the hallway to his office. "They've had an undeniable connection since they met, and Kurt informed me that she and her previous boyfriend are no longer in a relationship."

Wolverine followed him down the hall, hands in his pockets. "She's not a mutant, Chuck, and she's connected to the Justice League. They haven't shown a great fondness for us in the past."

"True," Charles acknowledged. "However, Heather's DNA code does not deeply concern me. Also, the Justice League have never openly engaged us in combat or threatened us – I believe their leaders are waiting for us to make the first move and offer the olive branch. That's not really the point anyway. Kurt and Heather love each other, I can tell. Love is a strong force, Logan. Strong enough to face the toughest adversity, if it's true and in their case I believe it is. I know you've read Shakespeare at some point, my friend."

Logan shook his head. "True love didn't exactly work out for Romeo and Juliet, Chuck, I remember that."

The Professor smiled. "Perhaps. But I believe Kurt and Heather will have a bit more luck than they did, if we do not try and stop them."

Logan shrugged. "If you say so, Charles."


	19. Welcome to My World

_Yay! First chapter with the new title, whoo hoo! :D Very excited right now lol plus it's like midnight, so that could have something to do with it haha xD I just wanted to note that this chapter falls after Heather and her Dad split from being a team and sometime in the post-break-up of Heather and Kaldur's relationship. Lot of tension and drama still going on, but I tried not to over emphasize it, since this piece is mostly supposed to be fun :) Anyway, hope you all enjoy!_

**What a Web We Weave**

**19) Welcome to My World**

"This mission did not go well," Batman intoned darkly, and pretty much everyone on Young Justice winced, except Robin who stared stonily ahead though his jaw was clenched.

Heather had a feeling that there would be words exchanged and grounding done at Wayne Manor later. _Poor Dick_, she thought, but wisely avoided looking at him or anyone else, gaze fixed intently on Batman's dark cowl.

She refused especially to look at the other League members around them. All of their mentors were there, including her father, and she denied above all looking in his direction. Despite the full face mask, she somehow would know immediately whether Spiderman was smirking. She was desperately trying to ignore the temptation to bash his smug face in, if only to avoid being A) yelled at by her mom and/or B) benched from missions for a few weeks.

The trouble the team was in now was bad enough.

"You managed to recover the artifact, mostly intact," from the corner of her eye, she spotted Superboy shift uncomfortably. "But Sportsmaster and Klarion the Witch Boy escaped custody."

Artemis looked down and Wally grimaced. Though most of the team had been working on distracting the two villains so Robin and Black Widow could retrieve the artifact, it had been the archer and the speedster who'd let their guards down and allowed the escape.

Wally resisted the urge to make sure he wasn't sporting a tail or a pink nose still – Klarion had shot him with a hex that had changed the redhead into a white mouse. Fortunately, Zatanna had been able to reverse the spell, but still it had been embarrassing to say the least.

Batman continued, as if oblivious to the discomfort of the team – he probably was. "Not only that, but what was supposed to be a covert, in and out job, escalated out of control. A whole city block was severely damaged. Fortunately with the late hour no civilians were harmed, but let's be clear: this was a failure on the whole team's part. An utter disaster."

For once, Robin didn't make an 'aster' joke. And that in itself told everyone else just how downhearted the normally cheerful bird was, and how angry Batman truly was.

Kaldur stepped forward, ready to deliver his ever ready apology for the team's actions, but he didn't get the chance. A bright light enveloped the room, making everyone cover their eyes. Even Batman and Robin used their capes to block out the light.

A familiar, insane cackle filled the air, followed by a string of words in Latin. Heather just managed to catch it over a roaring in her ears, but couldn't make sense of it, _"__Quod semel esset senex, facere iuvenis. Quid iuvenis, senex. Creare stragemque et sinite chaos explicare. Solum maxima magus potest: converterent frangendi. Tempestas et ignis faciam eos totum.__" *_

Then suddenly the light was gone, but she still couldn't see or hear anything. Slowly her vision cleared first, and the ringing in her ears subsided. Blinking slowly, she looked around the room, trying to see if anyone was hurt or if there was any damage to the cave. Weirdly enough though, the walls and floor looked fine – even the holocomputer was still running.

Shaking her head, she sat up, wondering idly when she'd fallen to the floor. "Is… is everyone okay?" She asked.

There was a moan that sounded like Wally from next to her. "Oh, that's going to hurt in the morning," he groaned. He sat up too, with his back turned to her, and rubbed his skull.

"You okay, Wally?" Heather questioned, looking around with still blurry eyes to see Robin, as well as the rest of the team, picking themselves up. Their mentors were scattered around the room.

"Yeah, I'm okay," he said thickly.

Heather frowned and rubbed her eyes to try and clear her vision more. "Wally, what's wrong with your voice?"

"What do you mean?" He turned to her and she inhaled sharply.

"W-Wally? What the hell?" She looked around again, her eyes widening as she saw something in common with each of her friends.

Artemis scowled at her. "What are you looking at?" she asked irritably.

"Uh… I," Heather swallowed and glanced down at herself, touching her face warily, "um, guys, l think you should look in a mirror."

Cocking an eyebrow behind his mask, Robin pulled a mirror out of his belt. Everyone was too preoccupied with Heather's suggestion to comment on Robin's choice of carrying a compact mirror around. Flipping it open, Robin peered intently into the reflection and gasped. "Oh, not asterous. Not asterous at all!"

"My point exactly," Heather replied numbly, staring at her hands in a daze.

"What are you kids _talk_ing about?" Spiderman asked and then froze. He rubbed his neck and cleared his throat. "I said, what are _you –_" He stopped again as his voice rose sharply once more to a high soprano.

"Holy Houdini," Zatanna murmured, pointing a shaky finger at the various members of the Justice League, "You're all… young."

"And you're all older," said a young, still slightly pitched voice. Everyone whipped their heads around to see Batman – Batboy? – stand up (all five feet and two inches of him) and step forward. "This is a problem."

"No duh," Superboy muttered, staring at his slightly larger hands. He glimpsed his reflection on the computer console and frowned. He looked just like Superman now – well, more than usual anyway.

Heather examined herself in disbelief. "Good news, Dad," she reported in a forcefully chipper voice, "I finally got Mom's curves." Spiderman didn't reply, but then again, Heather hadn't expected him to.

"This is not happening, this can't be happening!" Artemis exclaimed. "How is this possible?"

"On the bright side, you're looking hotter than ever, Babe," Wally stated, sidling up next to his girlfriend with a saucy smile and wink. "And we're legal now!" She gave him a sharp elbow to the side, making him pout.

"Judging by the bright light and the Latin, I'm going with magic," Robin remarked, standing up. He looked down and grinned, appreciating his now long legs.

Heather noticed the smile and rolled her eyes. "Well, looks like you finally hit that imaginary growth spurt you've been blabbing about for the last six months," she commented sarcastically.

Robin merely smirked. "Jealous?"

She snorted, "Hardly. You're still skinny as a rail."

Robin stuck his tongue out maturely, contradicting his now twenty-something face. "No reason to be uncourteous," he said.

Black Widow smacked her forehead. "It's 'discourteous' Robin, and now is not the time to be making up new words. We need to figure out how to reverse this spell."

"Are you sure it was magic?" Wally asked doubtfully, flexing his fingers and toes, like it would somehow reverse everything by doing so. "Couldn't it have just been a, I dunno, a beam from an age accelerator?"

Flash, who now looked more like Kid Flash minus the costume, ran over to his sidekick (or maybe mentor?) shaking his head. "Couldn't be. If that were the case, we'd _all_ be older. It's just you kids that are older – the rest of us got zapped back into our Sesame Street days."

"I'm sixteen, I don't watch Sesame Street!" Wally exclaimed.

"What's Sesame Street?" Artemis wondered aloud, which awarded her a few weird looks from the others, but no one bothered to explain.

"Then what do you suggest happened to us?" Kaldur questioned, ignoring his teammates' sidetracked conversation. He, unlike the others, didn't pinch his arm or check his reflection to confirm what was already obvious. He just wanted to find a way to reverse whatever this was.

"Wait a second," Heather held up her hand and carefully pointed to each hero by mentor then sidekick. Her lips moved silently as she moved down the line, finally landing on herself and Spiderman. "For the love of Jimmie Hendrix, we switched!"

"What do you mean switched?" Green Arrow asked looking like a kid dressed up as Robin Hood on Halloween with his oversized bow and quiver of arrows.

"Each mentor switched ages with their protégé, and vice versa," Heather explained.

M'gann looked around the room and nodded thoughtfully. "She's right. Look, Batman is now about thirteen while Robin looks maybe twenty-five or six. Green Arrow is sixteen, Artemis is twenty-six."

"You and J'onn don't look any different," Wally observed.

"We are shape shifters and Martians, we can look whatever age we want," J'onn replied, adding, "More than that, we age differently than humans. Although, I must say, I do feel younger."

"And I feel… older," M'gann said, looking at her hands.

"Wait a second," Superboy scanned the room in confusion. "Where's Superman?" Realizing that the Kryptonian was indeed nowhere in sight, the others began calling out his name and looking around.

Batboy scrutinized the room intensely as well, frowning deeply. It was one thing for key members of the Justice League to gain a new lease on life, it was an entirely other matter for Superman to go missing. This day was going bad enough as it was without the Boy Scout being MIA.

Conner suddenly cocked her head to the side. "Everyone, shush," he commanded.

When all was quiet, a new sound became apparent quickly, coming from under the table of all places. The young arachnid strode over and glanced under the meeting table, her eyes widening as she reached underneath and grasped something. Standing up, she turned to the others with a bewildered expression. Held in her arms was a bundle of blue and red, and it was crying.

"What in the name of Poseidon?" Aquaman questioned, speaking for the first time.

"Um, I think I found Superman," Heather said quietly.

Flash ran over and looked at the baby with a nervous expression. "Supes? Is that you?" The dark haired, blue eyed, chubby baby swatted at the little wings on Flash's mask in response, cooing as it swung back and forth. "I'll take that as a yes," the scarlet speedster said weakly.

"Whoa, back up," Artemis held up a hand. "Why is Superman a baby now? Why isn't he a sixteen year old kid?"

Zatanna flew over to Heather and Superman, stroking the Man (Baby?) of Steel's face gently. "I think I know why. Superboy was force grown in sixteen weeks, right? And we just had a birthday party for him a few months back. So technically…"

"I'm only a year old," Conner finished. "I mean, on the outside and mentally I'm sixteen. But my cells are that of a one year old."

"And because of that, you got Superman's age of mid twenties, while he got your age of one year," Wally added, shaking his head. "This is nuts."

"No kidding," Heather said, bouncing Superbaby, who'd begun fussing a little. "Where's Mrs. Kent when you need her?" She added under her breath, as Clark started crying in earnest.

"Now that we know what has happened to us, I believe the best course of action would be to find a reversal spell," Kaldur suggested, appearing calm despite circumstances. "Zatanna, do you think you can do it?"

Zatanna pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Maybe… I'll need to read through my books to be sure, but I think I might know a spell that could fix this. For now, I think it would be best if we all stayed here in the mountain, just to be safe. We can't be sure that this couldn't spread to others."

"You mean this could be contagious?" Wally exclaimed, eyes wide.

Artemis rolled her eyes at her overly excitable boyfriend. "It's not the flu, Kid Idiot."

"No, no," Zatanna added hastily. "It's not like that at all. I'm just not sure how widespread this hex is – it could just include us, or…" she trailed off, and it didn't take a genius to follow her thinking.

Either it was just those in Mount Justice, or it was like the world was split into parallel dimensions again, and no one wanted to relive that incident. Particularly Zatanna.

Thinking of this, something clicked in Heather's brain. "Wait a second. Dr. Fate isn't here, and Zatanna's not any older. Which could mean –" she cut off as Superman let out an extra loud wail and returned to her soothing techniques.

"That this just affects us," Batboy finished. "We need to check the airwaves for chatter about this kind of event happening elsewhere."

"Already on it," Robin replied, pulling up the holoscreen of the computer and opening several media sites. He shook his head after a moment, "There's nothing; not a word about people switching ages – or anything else weird going on. I think we're the only ones."

"That is good news," J'onn observed, and Aquaman (boy? Lad? Oh forget it) nodded in agreement.

"Anyone else get the feeling Klarion is behind this?" Green Arrow asked rhetorically. Various nods throughout the room followed.

"It would be his M.O. to retaliate this way," Spiderman agreed.

"Holy, Janis Joplin! Will you never stop crying?" Heather suddenly exclaimed. "Come on, work with me," she entreated, but the Kryptonian baby would have none of it.

She rolled her eyes, and looked around helplessly, but no one seemed to have any suggestions of how to calm their comrade. Finally, her eyes landed on Superboy. She cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. "Conner, c'mere," she called.

The Boy (Man, Guy, whatever) of Steel raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Just get your butt over here, I have an idea," Heather snipped testily, nearing the end of her patience. It had been quite awhile since she'd had to deal with a crying baby. Her sister, Audrey, was already three almost four and full out temper tantrums were few and far between for the girl these days.

Conner came obligingly, but stepped back in surprise, panicking slightly as Black Widow thrust Superman towards him. "Here, take him."

"What! Why?" Conner demanded eyes wide.

"I think he wants a familiar face, like his dad or whatever. You're the closest thing we've got, so take him," Heather explained calmly.

"But, but I'm not his dad!" Conner wrinkled his nose, watching as snot began to run down the distressed baby's face. "He's not _my_ dad either. I'm just his clone!"

"Regardless," Heather replied dismissively. "He needs you, and you're going to fulfill that need. At least while we're stuck like this. When we're back to our proper ages, you can go back to ignoring each other. Promise. Until then, take Superman _now_."

Reluctantly, but not having much choice, Conner took Clark into his arms, remembering how to hold a child from the split Earth incident. Almost instantly, Superman stopped crying. Sniffling a bit, he touched a chubby hand to Superboy's face and smiled happily.

"Aww!" M'gann and Zatanna cooed. Artemis rolled her eyes but smiled secretly as Kid Flash put his arm around her shoulders. Heather smirked triumphantly, as did Robin. Kaldur had an amused look on his face, as did the League members, with the exception of Batman who simply didn't glare quite as much.

"Well, that's one dilemma solved," Heather replied cheerfully. "Now to move on to the bigger issue."

"Yeah, like how I'm supposed to explain this to my parents," Wally said.

"Oh man," Flash groaned. "Iris is going to kill me!"

"I wonder how Agent A is going to take this," Robin wondered aloud, trying to picture his surrogate grandfather showing any kind of shock or worry. It was futile though. If Alfred could keep his cool, calm composure through having Bruce become Batman and Dick running off that first night in a bright yellow cape and pixie boots, he could handle his wards changing ages. The man was made of sterner stuff than the rest of us mere mortals.

"Stairway to Heaven, help me," Heather moaned. "I have a calc test on Tuesday! It's the final, I have to be there! What am I going to do?"

"You?" Spiderman scoffed. "I have a job to keep. Jameson will have a cow if I'm late for the gala Sunday night to take pictures; if I don't show up at all, he'll have the whole barn!"

"Everyone, calm down," Batman ordered. "We all have lives outside the capes, and each is equally important. For the time being, we're going to need to put some things on hold or work out an alternative solution."

"Uh, speaking of alternative solutions," Robin interjected. "What are we supposed to do when people begin to notice _you-know-who_ and _you-know-who_ are not around?"

Batboy's jaw tightened. "There's a contingency plan for this in place, we'll be fine," he replied tightly, clearly telling his protégé to shut the heck up. Which Robin did. Quickly.

"What are we going to tell Mom?" Heather wondered, looking at her father worriedly.

Spiderman sighed. "If she doesn't kill me first, we'll think of something."

"Right," Black Widow said doubtfully. "Sure."

"My king," Aqualad spoke up. "Queen Mera will be most disturbed when she discovers what has taken place."

Aquaman nodded gravely and sighed. "I know, Kaldur'ahm. I am unsure of how she will take the news, nor of what to tell my subjects in Atlantis."

Artemis looked doubtfully at Green Arrow and he held up his hand quickly, making her a bargain. "I'll tell your mother, if you tell Canary."

Artemis scowled. "I hardly think that's a fair trade," she muttered.

"All of that aside," J'onn spoke calmly. "What should we tell the rest of the League? They will be wondering at our absences – Batman and Superman's the most." As if in response to this, Clark babbled happily as he played with Conner's hair, laughing sweetly at the glare his clone gave him.

"For now," Batman said. "We tell them nothing. Only the original members are to know of this. Everyone else will be told that Aquaman, Superman, Green Arrow, Flash, Spiderman and I are on a secret mission off world. As you can keep up the appearance of your actual age, Man-Hunter, you'll keep us informed of any major crisis that may come up, and help Wonder Woman and the others maintain order in our absences."

The Martian nodded. "I believe that would be the best course of action. I'll head to the Watchtower now and inform the founders of the situation."

Quickly keying in his codes, the alien left the mountain for the Justice League satellite through the zeta beam. The glow had just faded out when the machine started up once more. _Recognized. Black Canary. A13. Red Arrow. A21._

"Oh no," Oliver groaned, smacking his forehead.

"Great," Artemis griped, throwing her hands up, "Just what we need: Mr. Sunshine Clone and your girlfriend!" Wally patted her back slightly, trying to calm her temper.

"Wait!" Zatanna cried as the two vigilantes stepped into the cave. "They can't come in! The spell might still be –"

Whatever she was going to say next was cut off. The bright light from before, along with the strong wind from nowhere, the Latin phrase and the deafening roar filled Mount Justice for a second time.

When the spell's affects were gone again, not only did Roy and Dinah look different, but Ollie and Artemis as well. Everyone looked on in clear confusion as the three archers and Meta faced each other. Rather than switching ages, it appeared that the three were now the same age, around twenty-one.

"What the –?" Red Arrow exclaimed, looking at his older body.

"What did you do, Ollie?" Dinah demanded, and her archer boyfriend was quick to put up his hands in a surrendering gesture.

"Okay," Kid Flash stated, completely fed up with all the magic spells flying around. "Anyone want to explain _that_ to me? Because I'm just done at this point! First my girlfriend and I switch ages with Barry and Ollie, and now she's gotten younger, but not young enough! What gives?"

"I think I can answer that," Zatanna replied thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "Both Green Arrow and Black Canary have been teachers to Artemis and Roy, even though Green Arrow is their official mentor. The spell I guess took the middle ground by adding their ages together and taking the common age."

"Wait," Heather held up a hand disbelievingly. "The spell can do math now? Can it take my calculus test for me?"

"Now's not the time for jokes, BW," Robin told her in annoyance.

"Who's joking? I'm dead serious. If I fail that test, I won't be able to grab my diploma. I have no plans to kiss my summer or my scholarship goodbye, thank you very much," Heather retorted, folding her arms over her chest.

"We've got bigger problems to deal with right now," Kaldur told her decisively.

The arachnid girl rolled her eyes, but didn't comment further. She had enough on her mind without her ex-boyfriend reprimanding her in front of the team and their mentors.

"I need to start looking for a way to reverse this," Zatanna muttered. "Before anyone else grows older or younger. M'gann, Roy, Artemis, give me a hand, would you? I'm going to have a lot of books to go through."

The requested heroes nodded. "I shall be glad to give my assistance as well," Aquaman said. Zatanna smiled appreciatively and all five left for the mountain's library.

"While they find a cure, we need to strategize what to do next," Batman said, looking at his fellow League members.

"What of us?" Kaldur questioned. "What are my team's orders?"

"As Zatanna suggested, you're to stay here for now. We can't let this get out." As he finished speaking, Robin, who'd been messing with the holocomputer looked up suddenly, eyes wide behind his mask.

"Uh, Batman? You're going to want to see this," He said, and pulled the screen up for everyone to watch.

It was a news clip showing a major bank robbery in Metropolis, which had quickly morphed into a high speed chase.

"We've gotta do something," Superboy said, as Superbaby squirmed in his arms, like Clark could sense his city was in danger.

"The rest of the League can handle it," Batman vetoed immediately.

"Oh really?" Heather asked, looking over Robin's shoulder. She pressed a button and brought up another news clip. "Can they handle that too?"

This clip showed Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn attacking Gotham with several giant plant monsters and Joker's special laughing gas. While everyone was distracted, the two queens of crime were happily looting various jewelry stores and museums.

Batman growled as he watched his city get destroyed block by block.

"Or what about this?" Robin added, pulling up a clip of Central City where Captain Cold was wreaking havoc.

"For the love of Nirvana," Black Widow cursed, pulling up yet another screen of Icicle Senor and Junior in Chicago, one of Star City being terrorized by Count Vertigo and Mysterio, and one of Dr. Octopus and Hobgoblin working together in New York. "They're everywhere!"

"You always know it's going to be a bad day, when all your worst enemies team up and attack your city," Spiderman muttered, rubbing his temple like he was getting a headache.

"Not to mention you've switched ages with your sidekick," Flash added.

"We're not sidekicks!" Wally protested.

"Hard to be a sidekick when you don't work with someone anymore," Black Widow added, with a pointedly dark look at her dad.

He seemed to ignore her. "What do we do, Bats? The League can't cover all of this. We have to do something."

Batman studied the screens intently, thinking. Eventually he sighed. "We will do something. Robin and I can switch uniforms and help Gotham. With extra armor, he's about the same size as me."

"A _lot_ of extra armor," Wally kidded his friend. Robin scowled in response.

"Green Arrow and Black Canary are close enough in appearance to help Star City," Batman continued, ignoring the boys. "Aqualad and Superboy will head to Metropolis, Flash and Kid Flash will work in Central City. You two will need to switch costumes," he added to the speedsters. "And Superboy, you'll wear Superman's uniform."

Conner looked slightly taken aback by this prospect at first, but nodded.

"Spiderman and Black Widow, you'll head to New York," Batman finished.

"Slight problem," Spiderman interjected. "I'm a bit smaller than I usually am, and she's a bit…" he trailed off as his daughter sent him a venomous glare.

"I swear to the Hotel of California, if you say I'm bigger than normal, I'll feed you to the Lizard," Black Widow threatened warningly.

"Fine then," Spiderman said, "You're older than normal. Okay?" He didn't wait for a response. "How do we pull this off?"

"We could stick some socks in your boots to make you taller," Black Widow suggested with a cutting smirk. "Just like at Disney World when you weren't tall enough for the Dumbo ride."

Spiderman sent her a peeved look.

"Not a bad idea, actually," Robin remarked, more seriously than his friend.

"Agreed," Batman said with a nod. Noticing how former mentor and protégé were glaring at each other, he added, "If you two are going to work together again, you'll have to put your personal issues aside for the moment. Unless you _want_ Doctor Octopus and the Hobgoblin to destroy New York," though he was wearing his usual cowl, it was somehow still apparent that he'd raised a sardonic eyebrow.

Grudgingly ending their staring contest, the two heroes looked away, arms folded in almost identical poses. "No," they murmured, practically in unison.

Whether Batman smirked at this or not is unconfirmed. "Alright everyone, you have your orders. Suit up and head out. We'll rendezvous back here once our targets are safely in custody. Hopefully, Zatanna and the others will have found a solution to our problem by then."

With nods and affirmative words, everyone left to suit up into new clothes. A moment after the room became empty, Aquaman came out, a book open in his hands.

"This earth dialect is very strange. I wonder Batman, does anyone here read Romanian?" Hearing no reply, the superhero king looked up and frowned.

"Hello? Where did everyone go?"

YJxYJxYJ

In Robin's room, the Boy Wonder and Dark Knight switched clothes briskly, but not before the younger man took a moment to admire his new physique.

"If only Babs could see me now," he muttered, smirking at himself in the mirror. "She could never call me a 'runt' again."

"Dick now is not the time," Bruce reminded him, placing the Robin cape around is shoulders.

"Seriously, though! Aren't you at least a little relieved that I'm going to fill out eventually?" Dick asked with a silly grin on his face, even as he pulled the cowl over his head.

Bruce smiled tolerantly at his adopted son. "Let's stop Ivy and Harley first, and we'll celebrate the benefits puberty will bring you later."

Dick sighed but nodded. "Alright… Robin," he tilted his head to the side, trying to get used to his own name rolling off his tongue. "That is so weird," he finally said.

"Too true, Batman," 'Robin' replied, putting the domino mask in place. "Now let's go… what's the phrase? Get… whelmed?"

'Batman' grinned. "We'll work on it."

YjxYJxYJ

Conner stared at the suit in front of him doubtfully. Sure it fit him now, but did he fit it? Was he ready to take on the responsibility? It would be hard to pull it off, that was for sure. Could he really be Superman?

He looked at Clark, who had thankfully fallen asleep on his bed. How could someone so small be so powerful? How could they affect the world so much?

Conner sighed, resigned, "One way to find out." He grimaced as he pulled on the suit, "I hate tights."

YjxYJxYJ

Heather watched as Peter made adjustments to his suit, adding a few pieces of padded armor here and there to make him appear bigger, as well as the pads to his boots.

It almost made her laugh that her sarcastic suggestion was taken literally. …Almost. If she still hadn't been so pissed at the whole situation, that is.

"Look, Dad," Heather said, cold but firm. "This is how it's going to work. We get to New York, take care of Doc Ock and Hobby, come back here, take the cure from Zatanna and go back to our separate hero lives. Just because we're working together now, doesn't mean we're partners again. Clear?"

Peter sent her a look she couldn't quite read – was that, rejection? No way, not her dad – as he pulled his mask back on, "Yeah. We're clear."

YjxYJxYJ

"This is so weird," Kid Flash said, shaking his head and looking down at the red costume he wore.

"You're telling me?" Flash adjusted the goggles on his head. "I don't know how we're going to explain you suddenly going blonde," he ran his fingers through his hair to spike it more.

Wally shrugged. "Kids dye their hair all the time. I doubt anyone will even notice."

"Hope you're right," Barry sighed. "Alright, let's get to Central."

"Race you there!" Wally said teasingly, darting off.

Flash shook his head. "He knows I'm going to beat him, so why does he always say that?" He dashed after his nephew for Central, a grin still on his face.

*Latin Translation: _What once was old, make young. What was young, make old. Create havoc and let chaos unfold. Only the greatest magician can reverse the spell. Storm and fire will make them whole._

_AN: So, yeah, not sure if I'm going to expand this into a full blown story arc, but I felt like you guys had waited long enough for an update B-) I think my favorite part about writing this chapter were all of Wally's lines and the conversation between Dick and Bruce when they were switching costumes xD I get way too excited about some of this stuff, lol ;) Anyway, hope you liked it and as always, reviews are much appreciated! :D_


	20. Training Lessons

_Alright, so I was going to work on and post a new chapter for TLH, but I'm blocking again on it so I've been fiddling around with this story instead. I actually wrote up this plotline awhile ago, just haven't ever had enough inspiration to finish it. Tonight, idk, it just all sort of came together for me. Weird, right? Soo, this is sort of pre-holiday cheer for all of you with quite a bit of fluff, but I did manage to get an action sequence in here (sort of). Anyway, hope you like it ^_^ Review please! :D_

**What a Web We Weave**

**20) Training Lessons**

The first time Heather trains with Batman, she gets her ass kicked. Royally. And the situation doesn't improve the second time, or the third, or the fourth. By the fifth though, she's beginning to understand his methods, to realize what Bruce is really expecting of her and to know that it's not wholly unreasonable. Really freaking hard to accomplish, but not unreasonable.

It wasn't the same as training with her father, and that was good. Neither Spiderman (a great hero), nor Peter Parker (an excellent professor), were ever very good at teaching the art of fighting crime. Heather knows that most of their "training sessions", were haphazardly thrown together at best and downright idiotic at worst. And that was even before her Dad realized it was his daughter in the costume.

Most of the skills she'd acquired over the first few months in the suit stemmed from her own private workouts. These consisted of extra miles run at the track at Midtown High, and revisits to her old gymnastic routines. Everything else that she learned had been picked up through personal experiences – both mistakes and triumphs – and what she'd gained working with Young Justice. At the end of the day, that wasn't much. This was a fact that was made more than abundantly clear, as she was taken down again and again by Batman, and even by Robin.

It's hard work. She's more than sore at the end of the day – she's got bruises on her bruises, and her muscles constantly scream at her with every movement. Even breathing is hard some days. But she knows it's worth it, so she pushes through and does her best not to complain, at least to Bruce's face, about how much it hurts to even think.

It helps that she has Dick around to moan and complain to later about a brutal session. Even if he does occasionally laugh at her, there's always the satisfaction of knowing that his amusement will soon turn into loud swearing when Bruce subjects _him_ to a brutal training session in return. And afterwards, the two friends become partners once more, languishing in shared pains, united against the admittedly cruel force that is The Batman.

Heather comes over to the mansion every other weeknight, an hour after she gets off work at the diner, and every weekend is spent in the cave as well. It leaves little time for anything else and she's exhausted afterwards, but in just the span of a few short weeks, she feels the difference. Her muscles are stronger, her movements more fluid than ever and her natural senses have been heightened. Batman was right – start with her body's natural power, and her Meta powers would increase in strength as well. Now, her webs were more durable, her spider sense increased tenfold and her agility was higher than ever before.

Heather was thinking about all this as she worked through another long Friday shift at the Moonbeam Café watching the clock slowly tick down the minutes until she could get off, grab her clothes from the apartment and zeta beam to Gotham. _Never thought I'd see the day where I __**wanted**__ to go have my ass handed to me,_ she thought, hiding an amused smirk from her coworkers.

The tiny, overly cheerful jingle bell over the door chimed, signaling the arrival of another customer. Heather held in a groan at the noise.

Her boss was absolutely nuts about decorating, she swore it. With Christmas a few weeks away and New Year's Eve around the corner, the diner had become party central, with so many decorations it was like working in a Hallmark card.

Truth be told, the holidays this year hadn't given her much reason to celebrate, and she really didn't want to be listening to that damn bell for another several weeks (knowing for a fact it wouldn't get taken down until after Valentine's Day, as usual).

Putting a cheery smile on her face, and ignoring the fact that she was wearing a dorky headband with glittery stars bobbing on antennae made of pipe cleaners, she hurried to the new customer's table.

"What can I get you, Ma'am?" She asked, pen already clicked, notebook at the ready.

The auburn haired woman looked up and smiled. "Hi honey."

"Oh," Heather swallowed, dropping her hands. She felt her stomach drop a little too. So much for her good mood. "Hi Mom."

It's not that MJ had done anything wrong – really she'd just gotten caught in the middle of her daughter and husband's dispute – but Heather couldn't help feeling uneasy around her mother anymore. It was too much like being at home, and the fact that MJ was still with Peter almost felt like a betrayal, like she was taking his side. Heather knew that view wasn't fair, not in the least, but sometimes the heart isn't the most reasonable of characters.

"What brings you to this side of the city?" she asked, restlessly fiddling with the headband, which suddenly felt even more stupid than before, like she was dressing up for her second grade play again. She'd been cast as a tree. It wasn't much of a confidence booster.

"I wanted to see my daughter – do I need more of an excuse than that?" MJ said simply. "Can you sit for a while?"

Heather glanced over at her other tables, almost willing a customer to be demanding the check or needing her somehow. No such luck. "I guess."

For some time, they only sat and made polite small talk, the kind of conversation Heather had had many times with her professors at NYU or with some of her chattier patrons. A conversation that was frankly tedious and painfully boring. When the stereotypical topics of the weather, her brother and sister, her aunt, and other topics were exhausted, MJ seemed to finally get to the point of her visit, much to Heather's relief.

"Sweetheart," Mary Jane began, wrapping her hands around her coffee mug. "I wanted to ask what you're plans were for the holidays."

Heather shrugged uncomfortably. "I hadn't really made any. I didn't even buy a tree. There's enough tacky crap around here to suck the spirit out of Old St. Nick himself," she joked weakly, gesturing at the mistletoe above the pickup window where one of the cooks, Joey, was trying to get some action with Veronica the waitress… again.

MJ nodded, carefully, and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, her fingers lingering on her blue knitted cap for a moment. "I see… well, I just wondered if you didn't have any plans, perhaps…" she trailed off.

Now Heather was really nervous. Her mom didn't beat around the bush about anything, never had. She had a good idea what her mom had in mind, and really didn't want to hear it. Yet she found herself saying, "Yes?"

MJ looked up, her expression unsure, tentative. "Heather, I… we want you home for Christmas. I know it's a lot to ask," She added quickly, "but it would mean so much to your brother and sister."

Heather closed her eyes and barely suppressed a groan. _Oh sure, throw my siblings into this, guilt trip me, that'll work every time, right?_ "Mom, I can't."

"Couldn't you try?" Mary Jane implored, placing her hand over Heather's. "You could just come to see the kids open their presents, you wouldn't have to stay long."

"No," the younger woman replied flatly, pulling her hand back.

Her mother's lips drew into a tight hard line, the same expression Heather used often when she was holding in her temper. "Heather, I know you and Peter are going through a rough patch, but it's the holidays and you should be with your family. You're hardly around anymore, and your brother and sister miss you. Honestly, it's like the aftermath of a nasty divorce when you come by to pick them up for the day!"

Heather gritted her teeth. "I have done nothing wrong towards my father. If anyone should be apologizing and taking the first step, it should be him. If you guys want me coming over, why isn't Dad the one here talking to me instead of you? Let me guess, he told you to do it because he's too damn proud to," she spat.

"Heather May Parker, don't you dare talk about your father that way!" MJ nearly shouted, just barely restraining herself as she remembered they were not alone. In a quieter, yet just as deadly tone she continued, "This is not about you and him. This is about Harry and Audrey getting to spend time with both of you during the holidays.

"They won't be little kids forever, Heather," MJ's voice was calmer now, almost pleading and a tad sad. "You're all growing up so fast. You're living on your own, paying your way through college. Harry is fifteen, a sophomore and starting to develop powers. Audrey will be five in a few months and starting first grade."

Heather shook her head and looked out the window, watching the snow drift past in light puffy flakes. _Why? Why do I have to be the one feeling guilty? What did I do?_

"This is an important time in your lives," her mom stressed. "I want you all to be close when you're grown up, not splintered like my family. I know it may be too soon to make up with your dad, but don't take it out on your siblings. Please, Heather."

Her hand moved across to her daughter again. Heather moved her hands out of the way, clenching them in her lap while staring stonily at the table. "I think you should go," she said lowly.

MJ stared at her for a long time and sighed. "Okay. If you change your mind, call me. You know the number." She gathered her purse, rewrapped her scarf around her neck then adjusted her hat. She put a five dollar bill on the table, gently kissed her daughter's hair and left the diner, bracing against the cold wind and snow.

Heather sat in the booth for a few moments longer before pocketing the cash and standing. She pulled off her apron and those ridiculous bobbing antennae, poking her head into the boss' office. "I need to take off early," she said flatly.

Manny barely looked up from his paperwork. "Sure thing, sweetheart. Just go ahead and clock out, it's a slow night anyway."

She nodded robotically. Turning, she was almost out the door when behind her she heard, "Oh, and merry Christmas, kiddo. Just a few days away now you know."

She swallowed the lump of snow that had formed in her throat. "Yeah. I've heard."

It was a short, freezing walk to the subway station to catch the train back to her cold, lonely apartment. As soon as she walked in the door, she knew she had to leave again.

The few pictures she had on the wall – of her sister and brother, of her parents, her aunt, her friends – stared at her, all so damn happy and cheerful. Suddenly, the numbness was gone and she was angry. More than angry, she was furious. Completely and utterly pissed off. Why was everything always _her_ fault? Why was she always to blame? She wanted to hit something, something hard, until her knuckles bled and her very bones ached.

Heather knew of only one place at that time of night where she could do so. She changed clothes swiftly and left for the zeta beam.

YJxYJxYJ

Dick was happily kicking back on the sofa playing video games, a plate of Alfred's special holiday cookies in front of him along with a glass of cold milk. He'd gotten out of school a little early today, as the forecast had been predicting snow and the officials had worried about kids getting stuck walking home through the white stuff should the roads be shut down. Needless to say, with little homework, a plate of cookies, and an extra couple of free hours before dinner and patrol, Dick was feeling pretty content.

He'd just beaten level twenty-three and paused to dunk a piece of warm chocolate chip cookie into his glass when Alfred walked into the room. The grandfatherly butler raised a disapproving eyebrow at Dick's feet, which were perched on the coffee table, but didn't comment.

"Master Bruce has just called. He'll be in a board meeting for another few hours before he can come home for patrol. He said I should inform you to go ahead and begin a training session in the cave in his absence. I believe he mentioned simulation forty-two," Alfred told the former circus boy calmly.

Dick groaned around a bite of cookie, swallowing reluctantly. "Aw man, so not asterous. I hate that one! I always get my butt handed to me," he grumbled. Even when he got off early from school, he still had tons of homework to do once home at the mansion – and not the kind with decimals or square roots.

"In Master Bruce's words, 'that's why you're still working on it'," there was a glimmer of well-hidden amusement in Alfred's tone and a twinkle in his eyes, even if his face was still completely unruffled.

Dick grinned and shook his head. "Alright Alfred, I'm going." He shut down his game and stood. He paused on the way to the clock, looking back regretfully at his plate and glass.

"I'll see to it that your cookies are kept fresh until after dinner. You may have the rest then, before tonight's patrol," Alfred said kindly, sensing the boy's longing.

Dick smiled as brightly as the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center. "Thanks, Alfie!"

Content now that his sweets were secure, Dick hurried to the grandfather clock and activated the secret elevator to the batcave. Stepping in, the doors closed after him and he was whisked down to the subterranean headquarters. He exited the elevator and was about to make his way to the lockers to change when he heard an unexpected sound. From the training area came noises of exertion; grunts, loud punches, kicks and heavy breathing.

Immediately, Dick was on high alert. Alfred was upstairs. Bruce was still at Wayne Enterprises in a meeting. The only other persons he knew of off the top of his head that were aware of not only where the cave was, but how to access it through the zeta beams were Lucius Fox, Heather and a few select members of the League, like Superman. If it were one of them, however, why would they be working out in the batcave? Even Heather wasn't due for training until tomorrow.

Quickly grabbing one of his domino masks off a nearby table, Robin advanced on the intruder cautiously, his footsteps silent. He reached the corner of the batcomputer and waited with bated breath, lest he alert the intruder. He counted down silently in his head, then leapt from his hiding spot at the trespasser… but pulled back in surprise instead of kicking the person in the gut.

"Heather?" He asked, confused. "What are you doing down here? How did you get in?" He dropped his stance and pulled off his mask.

Heather, flushed with exertion, dripping with sweat and clad in a tight black gymnastics suit she used for training, continued her workout for several moments against a robot opponent. The monitor on the wall said she was using simulation forty-nine.

_How did she get seven simulations ahead of me? She was three behind the other night! _Dick thought, incredulous and still completely puzzled. "Seriously, HM, what are you doing? You look like you're going to collapse."

With a fierce growl, Heather sent one last kick at the robot which toppled over on impact. _"Simulation Complete,"_ the disembodied voice of the computer intoned.

The former Black Widow took several deep breaths, before staggering over to a bench and sitting down heavily. Picking up a full bottle of water, she threw her head back and downed the whole thing in one go.

Dick took a few hesitant steps forward. "Heather, are you alright? You look like you've been…" he trailed off when she glared at him, her blue eyes red rimmed and puffy.

"I'm. Fine." She gritted out shortly.

Dick crossed his arms. "Somehow, I doubt that. You do not look traught, Heather. Not even close."

She looked away mutely, glaring at the floor.

He counted several seconds off in his head before sighing deeply. "Come on. You can talk to me about anything, you know that. Is it Nightcrawler? Did you guys have a fight?"

"No," she snapped. "This has nothing to do with Kurt."

"Then what the hell is wrong with you?" He demanded sharply.

"None of your damn business, Richard," she growled through gritted teeth.

"It is my business when I find you after breaking into the batcave and looking like you'll collapse any second," Dick retorted. "Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Heather appeared about to snap back when she stopped and sighed deeply. She cradled her head in her hands, the adrenalin beginning to wear off and exhaustion setting in. "I – No. I wasn't," she paused, swallowing. She pulled back her hands and stared at them. "I just wanted the pain to go away," she whispered.

Dick's features instantly softened. He took a spot on the bench next to his friend. "What happened?"

Heather blinked back the rapidly forming tears. "My mom came to the diner tonight. She wants me to spend the holidays with them." She paused and rubbed at her eyes vigorously, taking a deep breath, "but I just can't do it."

"Why not?" He asked gently.

She shook her head. "It's too hard. I'm still _so angry_ at him, that I can barely be in the same room for more than five minutes. I can't put my brother and sister through that; or Aunt May. It's better if I just stay away.

"Besides," she added, acid dripping from her voice. "Why should I offer the olive branch first? He screwed me over, not the other way around," she scowled. "I don't want to give him the satisfaction of me caving and apologizing, when it's not even my fault in the first place!"

Dick was quiet for a moment, staring at a spot somewhere in the darkness. "You know, that first year after my folks died, I was so angry and bitter that I shut out everyone. Bruce hadn't caught Zucco yet, and I hadn't found out his secret. All I could think was that it wasn't fair."

He turned and looked at his friend. Her wet, red eyes were focusing on him as well. "It wasn't fair that we'd never have Christmas together again. Or that they'd miss my birthday, every single one, for the rest of my life. I couldn't think of anything that my family had done to deserve that kind of heartbreak – of anything I had done. I would have done anything to have just one more holiday – hell, one more day – spent with my family and the circus. Most years, I still would."

Heather rubbed at her eyes, but now that the waterworks had started, they didn't seem likely to stop anytime soon. "Dick," she swallowed back the lump in her throat, "I'm so sorry. I, I didn't think about – it's not right for me to be talking about this with you. You've lost so much more than I have. I'm being selfish, I'm sorry."

Dick put his arm around her shoulders and drew her into a hug. "Hey, you're not being selfish, you're being human. Heather, what I'm trying to say is that I get it, I really do. You're angry and hurt and you don't want to forgive and forget – at least, not now. And maybe you won't want to for a long time. That's okay. You can be angry and upset, but I want you to think about something," he pulled back slightly, pushing her auburn hair away from her face.

"This life we live? That your dad lives? It doesn't last very long. So work through your feelings, figure out where you stand now, and when you're ready, forgive him. It doesn't have to be tomorrow; but don't let it last for eternity either. You only get one shot," Dick half smiled, "make it count, okay?"

Heather closed her eyes and took in a shuddering breath, letting it out slowly. She leaned her head against his chest, tears still dripping down her cheeks. "Thanks Dick," she whispered, "your folks would be really proud of who you've become."

Dick smiled sadly, hugging her closer, "Anytime, Heather, anytime."

Somewhere in the shadows, a faithful butler and the stoic master of the house retreated back up to the mansion, leaving the friends alone to bond. After all, there were some lessons that even Batman couldn't teach, but that a little Robin could.

HxHxHxH

MJ and Peter awoke on December 25 to two excited kids bouncing on their bed.

"Get up, get up, get up!" Audrey called, grinning ear-to-ear. "We have to open our presents now, get up!"

"Come on guys," Harry added, looking as happy as his sister. "I want to see what 'Santa' got me," he winked at his parents behind Audrey's head.

The little girl turned and gave him a shrewd look. "Harry, honestly, when are you going to grow up and realize there's no such thing as Santa?" she asked, folding her arms.

Harry stared at her, mouth agape while their parents chuckled. The Parkers migrated into the living room and kitchen quickly after that. MJ brewed a pot of coffee while Peter made hot coco for the kids. They'd just sat down in the living room when there was a knock on the door.

Peter frowned. "That's weird. I could've sworn I told Aunt May that we'd come to her place later. Why would she come here instead?"

"Maybe it's not Aunt May," Harry threw out without looking up, shaking a medium sized package wrapped in blue paper.

"I'll get it," MJ offered, giving her husband a peck on the cheek. She put her coffee down on the table and got up from the couch. Pulling her robe more tightly around her body, she unlocked the door and opened it without looking through the peephole. She froze when she saw who was on the other side.

"Um, hi," Heather murmured a bit uncomfortably. She shifted from foot to foot in her black heeled boots, medium wash jeans, white blouse and blue winter coat. She had a green knitted cap on, and was holding four medium sized, wrapped presents under her arm.

"Hi," Mary Jane replied numbly, still in shock. "I, I thought you weren't coming?"

Heather nodded slightly, "Yeah, I, uh, didn't think I was either. Um, but something," she added quickly, "Or really someone, well they, they changed my mind. They made me realize that something like this shouldn't be taken for granted. I guess I," she scuffed the tip of her boot on the hardwood floor of the hallway, "sort of forgot that for awhile.

"So um," Heather cleared her throat. "Is the offer still up for grabs?"

MJ smiled and nodded. "Yes, I think it is. You want to come inside?"

Heather smiled back. "Yeah, I'd like that." She stepped in and gave a long sniff. "Is that French Roast I smell?" She asked.

MJ laughed. "Yes. Want a cup?"

"I'd love one," Heather confessed, putting the presents on the table. "It's colder than Superman's Fortress of Solitude out there!"

Just then, Harry and Audrey wandered in, arguing about whose turn it was to open a present. They both stopped when they saw their sister shedding her winter coat. Wearing matching grins, the two youngest Parkers rushed Heather, tackling her with bear hugs.

"Heather!" Harry cried, "I can't believe it – you came!"

"We missed you Heather!" Audrey added.

"Of course I came, I missed you both too," Heather replied warmly, pulling her brother and sister close. She looked up after a moment, feeling eyes on her.

Peter stood in the doorway, an unreadable expression on his face. "Hey."

Heather swallowed, but tried for a smile. "Hey."

Peter came into the kitchen, shooting a look at his wife, who purposefully ignored him while pouring a third cup of coffee. Once next to his children, Peter looked a bit undecided still, until eventually, he placed a kind, but still delicate hand on Heather's shoulder. "I'm glad you're here," he told her sincerely.

Heather looked around at her family, finally coming back to her dad. "Yeah. Me too."


	21. Live a Hero, Die a Villain

_Hey dudes and dudettes B-) So, I know I said I was going to work more on TLH, but I figured you guys have been waiting awhile for another installment of the "Future Story Arc" (that really needs a better name :-\) so I thought, why not? At any rate, this picks up the storyline from chapter sixteen, "Old Frenemies", with some questions answered, others asked, and finally – finally! – we get a decent action scene in this fic! :D Keep your eyes on the screen, your butts glued to their seats, and your fingers poised over the 'review' key, 'cause this is going to be one bumpy ride…_

**21) Live a Hero, Die a Villain**

_**August 23, 2016, Gotham, 3:04am…**_

Fang frowned, taking Nightwing's face in her palms and gently rocking it back and forth to get a good look at the swelling, bloody lump on his left temple. "Geez, Wing," she muttered softly, "who'd you tangle with and did they have a sledge hammer?"

Gently she felt under the thick collar of his suit for a pulse, breathing a sigh of relief that it was strong and steady. His breathing too was normal, just a bit shallow. Fang reached up and pressed a button on the side of her mask, pulling up night vision as she scanned the roof. There was a small amount of blood spatters around Nightwing, confirming her suspicions that he'd been caught unaware and cold cocked, by the barrel of a gun if the shape of the bruising was any indication.

The question then became, who had the stealth skills to sneak up on the first partner of Batman?

While chewing that matter over, Fang switched off her night vision and reached into her belt. From an inner pocket she pulled out an oral stimulant Stark Industries had been developing last year. The drug was created in the hopes of using it on comatose patients, or others with long instances of inexplicable unconsciousness. The project had been scrapped when nobody seemed to want it and the formula had never been completed. Of course, when she asked nicely enough (and promised to work extra long hours), Tony had been happy to hand over the prototype.

She was still working on the remedy's chemical base using her own resources, tweaking things here and there until it functioned the way it was supposed to. This version, she hoped, would do the trick. She also hoped that it wouldn't accidentally turn Dick's hair blue like the last trial edition did... although it _had_ been funny as hell.

Tilting her friend's head back, she tipped the vial towards Nightwing's partially open mouth, putting in only a small sip so the purplish liquid didn't accidently go down the wrong pipe and choke him. Fortunately, Dick's swallow reflex kicked in, his Adam's apple bobbing as the stimulant slid down his throat. He moaned slightly as she set his head back on the concrete, but otherwise didn't move.

She knew that the formula would take at least twenty minutes, maybe even thirty, to be absorbed in his stomach and kick in. In the meantime, she sat back on her haunches, for a moment, and tried to puzzle out just what the hell was going on tonight.

_First, Sandman escapes his cell in the Vault, no doubt with help, and flees to Gotham. I get to Gotham to look for him, only to find Clayface who seemed intent on making me a spot on the sidewalk. I finally find Sandman, and he tells me he's been paid to knock me off as well as Batman and company. Robin and I go looking for Nightwing, and find him unconscious on a rooftop… alone… with no apparent assailant nearby and no reason for him to have been left alive except…_

Fang's eyes widened just as her spider-sense jumped off the charts. In one fluid motion, she spun around and lifted her frame into a predatory crouch, eyes narrowing as she took in the attacker while protecting her friend. _I hate it when it's a trap,_ she thought irritably.

The moon decided at that moment to come out fully from behind the clouds. In the sudden illumination, she found herself faced with a broad, muscular man about her height and maybe a hundred and twenty pounds heavier. He was wearing combat boots, dark cargo pants, a black shirt, and a leather jacket. There were several guns and knives strapped to his calves, waist and beneath his jacket. There were also several other deadly goodies bulging from various pockets – Fang was pretty sure she could even see a grenade poking out from a pouch on his hip. What bothered her most about his appearance, though, was the red helmet he wore which completely concealed his face.

_No,_ she thought grimly, _not a red helmet – a Red Hood_. She also noted with a small flash of alarm that over his shoulder was a figure bound hand and foot in a familiar black, red and yellow costume. _Stupid! I shouldn't have left the kid alone! Dick and Bruce are going to kill me if anything happens to Robin,_ she berated herself mentally.

The man known as Red Hood tilted his head slightly, and she somehow got the feeling he was smirking behind his mask. "Well now, isn't this a surprise. I came here to catch a few birds, and get a spider too. Lucky me," he spoke in a low, gravelly voice that was both sinister and hauntingly familiar. Where had she heard it before?

Fang narrowed her eyes, trying to focus on the here and now. "I suppose you're the pain in the ass that sicced Sandman on me?" She phrased it as a question, her tone cordial and polite but with palpable frost.

Red Hood had the nerve to give a small bow, apparently unhindered by the burden on his shoulder. "You guess right, m'lady," sarcasm practically dripped from his words.

"Cut the crap," she snapped, at the end of her patience. "Who the hell are you and what do you want?"

Red Hood chuckled slightly, and she had to restrain herself from reacting. _Where_ had she heard a laugh like that before? It was a low, rough laugh. Not like the excited and contagious giggle of her sister; nor was it like the delighted and memorable cackle of Dick. It was too jaded, too anguished for either. In a way, and she had to question her sanity on this one, it almost sounded like Bruce (the few times she'd actually heard him laugh anymore).

Red Hood dropped Robin on the roof carelessly. The limp boy only let out a small moan of pain in response. The villain took a half step forward, and Fang slid further into her crouch, the predator lying dormant in her spider genes aching to lash out at the threat.

"Stay where you are," she warned her words low but clear in meaning. _One wrong move and I will slice you to pieces._

Red Hood half shrugged, "If you insist. To answer your question, what I want is simple. I want you dead. And frankly," he gestured lazily at Nightwing and Robin's unconscious forms. "I wouldn't mind a little damage done to the birds either. Especially that one," he sent a hateful look at the Teen Wonder, giving a light kick to the boy's side.

"Watch it!" Fang growled. "Keep in mind that I am not above beating you to a dying, bloody pulp for hurting my friends."

Red Hood seemed to consider that for a moment. "You really are different aren't you?" he said, almost like he was talking to himself.

"Hard to be different to someone I've never met," Fang retorted, "Which reminds me – who are you again?"

"Ah," he said, slightly amused, "now that is much more complicated."

"Un-complicate it for me," she returned curtly.

"Oh believe me, Princess, I would if I had time," Red Hood said dryly. "But I'm running on a tight schedule." He pulled a nine millimeter firearm from a holster on his hip and aimed it at her.

Fang suddenly dropped her stance and sighed. "Really? A gun? You new bad guys have no class, no pizzazz. I mean, aren't there more creative ways to kill people than a bullet these days? Seriously, I heard that Batman and Robin were once strapped to a catapult and thrown clear across the city*. Much more original, if you ask me."

Red Hood lifted the shoulder that wasn't holding the gun in a half shrug. "I'm more of a 'do it quick and do it right' kind of guy. None of that ridiculous prancing around some of the big guns here in Gotham do; it's counterproductive. Just pull the trigger and be done with it."

Fang pouted, taking several steps closer. "Now where's the fun in that? Doc Ock raves and rants, Mysterio is all about theatrics, Electro is just a hotheaded mess, and Sandman at least banters with me." She stood right in front of him now, letting the barrel of his gun fit snuggly into the dip between her breasts. She lowered her head a little, smirking at him seductively, "So, why won't you play with me?"

Red Hood hesitated before shaking his head. "Because I know you too well," he muttered. "You'll fool around and when you get bored or things get intense, you cut and run."

Fang's face turned stony. "You don't know a thing about me," she said, reaching up with a lightning quick fist to knock the gun away and tackle him to the roof.

The gun went skidding across the tarmac as Fang and Red Hood rolled over and over, struggling to get the advantage. Her spider-senses were on near overload as he pulled out random knives and short blades. She tried to keep track of where her allies were, and more importantly whether either Robin or Nightwing were stirring yet, but it was difficult to say the least.

Eventually she had to give up and focus on the fight. Whoever had trained this guy was good – really good. The weird thing was, there was something about his fighting style that seemed almost familiar, but she just couldn't put her finger on what it was.

Fang managed to stop their roll for a moment, straddling the villain and giving him several hard punches to the chest and neck. Before she could attempt to yank off the man's helmet, Red Hood shifted and used his larger weight to throw her across the roof. Fang took advantage of the momentum to back spring a few feet away, landing in a crouch. Red Hood arched his back and flipped into a standing position in one fluid motion.

The two studied each other for a long moment, reassessing the fight.

"You're a lot better than some of the other losers I've fought who called themselves the 'Red Hood'," Fang said eventually, half impressed and half annoyed.

"You've been trained by someone," she continued, watching him carefully for any sudden moves. "Who?"

"Why should I tell you?" he asked. "I was under the impression you knew everything."

"Well not every–" Fang halted abruptly, her mouth running dry. _What did he just say?_

The stupid helmet kept her from seeing Red Hood's reaction to her falter. He merely glanced at Robin and Nightwing, noticing that the latter seemed to be beginning to stir. "Hate to cut the party short, gorgeous, but you're not part of my plans."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow behind her mask and slowly stood. "What plans would those be?"

"Pretty simple really," he replied. "Bird boy one and two over there are bait for Daddy Bats. When he shows up, he gets to watch the golden boy and the replacement die. Then he's next."

Fang was so distracted by the phrase 'daddy bats', that it took an extra second for her brain to catch the rest of the sentence. Her eyes narrowed angrily and she took several steps forward. "If you think I'm going to let you kill them, you're more insane than I thought," she growled.

Red Hood chuckled again. "What makes you think you'll get the chance to stop me?"

A retort was on the tip of her tongue, when something wet, inflexible and sticky grabbed and lifted her off the roof. Struggling in the quicksand-and-cement like mixture, Fang grunted while Clayface chuckled.

"Not so tough now, are you?" Clayface taunted.

Sandman appeared by his side, forming his hands into large, spiked hammers. "You want me to finish her off, Hood?"

Red Hood considered Fang for a long moment as she fought fruitlessly for freedom. She paused for a moment and shot him a venomous look. "I dare you, Hoody," she spat. "My death, on top of Nightwing's, Robin's, and Batman's will ensure your own demise. The heroes of the world won't rest until you're six feet under."

Red Hood gave a humorless laugh. "They're a bit late for that," he replied cryptically.

"Come on already! Am I smashing her pretty little face in, or not?!" Sandman demanded impatiently.

Red Hood paused for only a second, "No, not yet. Turns out I might have some use for her after all. We'll take her with the others."

"Looks like we get to play a little longer, Princess," Clayface whispered in Fang's ear.

Fang grimaced disgustedly, pulling as far away as she could. "Don't count on it, tubby," she snarled.

"Keep her quiet!" Sandman barked, slinging Nightwing over his shoulder. "She'll wake the whole city."

"With pleasure," Clayface said, forcing mud over her mouth and solidifying it.

Fang forced herself to take calm, deep breaths and not panic. _These guys do not need to know that I occasionally suffer from claustrophobia_, she thought. She watched with resentful eyes as the Red Hood roughly and carelessly picked up Robin. He made a 'wrap-it-up' gesture with his free hand, and they all disappeared into the night.

* Referring to "Batman" – the 1960's television series – season two, episodes: "Penguin is a Girl's Best Friend" and "Penguin's Disastrous End".

YJxYJxYJ

_**August 23, 2016, time and location unknown…**_

If there was one thing Fang had always hated, it was feeling helpless. Right now, she felt about as useful as Snow White lying in her glass coffin, totally dependent on some guy hopefully – fingers crossed – coming along and deciding to randomly kiss her. And she knew she was getting a little stir-crazy, because she hadn't gone off on a random mental tangent like that since she was sixteen.

Red Hood, Sandman and Clayface had taken her, Nightwing and Robin to an abandoned warehouse – why was it always a warehouse? – in the slums of Gotham. There, Red Hood proved yet again that he was a lot smarter than others who had previously used his alias, by separating the three heroes and placing them in different rooms.

Robin was tied to a chair that was bolted to the floor in one, and Sandman was left to guard him. Nightwing, who seemed to only be borderline conscious, had been hung by the wrists on chains dangling from the ceiling, with his feet anchored to the floor. It left little chance for even an acrobat as good as Dick to get free, especially because Red Hood had ordered Clayface to watch him. Finally, Fang herself had been shackled to a cool concrete wall, and no matter which way she twisted or pulled, she couldn't slip out of the restraints – even her enhanced strength was doing any good. Oh, and to top it all off, she got to hang out with Red Hood. This was what Audrey would have sarcastically referred to as 'plain peachy'.

Fang paused in her efforts to escape for a few moments, observing as Red Hood stood in front of a table, his back turned to her, and took out a .22 which had been strapped to his back. He first pulled back the top to check the load, and then fluidly proceeded to take the gun apart, clean it, reassemble it, and insert a new load within a few seconds. She wasn't exactly impressed per say – guns had always given her the creeps – but she found it was noteworthy that he could do it so quickly. It told her he wasn't an amateur, at least as far as firearms were concerned, and that was information.

If there was one thing she'd learned above all in her experiences as a vigilante, it was that knowledge was power… of course she never said it quite that way out loud. She didn't want to look like a _School House Rock_ copycat after all.

"I still don't get why you want to kill me," Fang said eventually, unable to deal with Red Hood's stony silence. She was used to talking, and with beating villains who loved to talk. This guy didn't. To say it was throwing off her rhythm would be an understatement. She felt completely out of sync.

Red Hood turned his head slightly, but didn't reply at first. He put down the first .22 and drew a .45 from a holster strapped to his thigh. It was only after he'd cleaned and reloaded the .45 that he spoke. "You don't remember at all, do you? You've already forgotten all about me," he snorted. "Typical."

Fang rolled her eyes behind her mask. "Dude, I think I'm repeating myself here, but I'll say it again anyway: I'd have to know who you are to forget you."

Only Fang's spider-senses and quick reflexes were able to save her when a knife suddenly appeared right where her head used to be. She stared at her dirty, warped reflection in the trembling blade for a moment, noting morbidly that it was lodged an inch thick into the concrete. She turned back to Red Hood, her expression calm even though her heart was threatening to leap out of her chest.

"Anyone ever tell you, you've got anger management issues?" Fang inquired in an understated tone.

"Every damn day of my afterlife," Red Hood replied, voice heavy as his fists shook.

Fang frowned. "That's the second time you've said something like that. I have to tell you, for a phantom, you look pretty real to me. And, last I checked, ghosts couldn't throw knives."

Red Hood chuckled humorlessly. "Oh I have a pulse. I breathe. I eat and sleep too, sometimes. But I shouldn't be here. I should be dead." He looked down at his fists, slowly flexing them. "I'm not, but I am."

Fang chewed that over for a second. She finally shook her head. "I don't get it," she admitted. "Actually," she added, "I really don't get you in general. You hire Sandman and Clayface of all bumbling idiots, lure me to Gotham where you try and kill me, and then you threaten to kill Robin and Nightwing. Granted, those two have made a lot of people mad – wanting them dead is nothing new – but me? I've got no beef with Gotham villains, and they've never sought me out either. What's the difference with you? What's your angle?"

"My 'angle' as you call it," Red Hood sneered, "is revenge, plain and simple. I start with you and the two birds, then the bat, and I'll save the clown for last."

"Clown?" Fang raised an eyebrow. "Joker? Word of advice, if I were you I wouldn't go within five hundred yards of that nut-job. They've got a special place in Arkham for the guy – literally."

"I know," Red Hood replied darkly. "And soon, they're going to need to make a special place in hell for him too."

"You're going to kill Joker?" She repeated, stunned. "Not even Batman has ever –" she began softly.

"Exactly!" He snarled, cutting her off. "He's a dangerous lunatic! He's killed hundreds, if not thousands, of people and no one seems willing or able to stop him. Well I've had enough. If Batman won't do it, then I will."

"But I don't understand why," she continued, shaking her head. "What gives you the right to kill the Joker? What motive could you possibly have?"

"Because," Red Hood answered coldly, reaching up and pulling off his helmet for the first time. "He killed me."

The helmet dropped to the floor and rolled until it hit a leg of the table, thudding quietly. It was silent afterwards for several long moments. It took that long for Fang to pull air back into her lungs and her brain to unfreeze. Tears sprang to her eyes and her heart beat wildly as a face she knew so well, one she'd thought she'd never see again, stared back at her.

"_Jason?_" She whispered – voice choked up with a lump that had risen in the back of her throat. "Oh my God," she murmured, more bewildered than she'd been in years. "Jay, it is you."

Jason Todd half smirked, his expression bittersweet and pained… and angry – so very _angry_. "So, you do remember. How touching."

She shook her head. "Of course I remember, Jay! God, I – how is this even possible? I, I saw your body. I watched them b-bury you," she stumbled over the word, tongue tied as her mind tried to fit her memories with the reality standing in front of her. "I could never, ever forget that."

"Funny, neither can I," the seventeen year old replied bitingly. "In fact I remember a lot of things very, very vividly. Like how I was never good enough for you, or Bruce. How Dick was always the golden boy and I could never get out of his shadow. How despite all my training and hard work, it wasn't acceptable. I remember the day I died and how no one came to save me. I remember, clear as day, the moment Ra's decided to pay back a debt to Bruce by bringing me back from the grave, and how I wandered around for six months, alone and with a totally blank memory. And God if I don't remember how it felt when it all clicked together again and I realized that what I feared most was true – nobody cared that I was gone."

A tear leaked from Heather's mask and trailed down her cheek. "Jason," she swallowed hard, "I'm so sorry. I'm so, _so_ sorry. We tried. We couldn't find you after Joker –. Bruce was so close, but he couldn't – and I wasn't there. I should have been there! I might have been able to find you, but I was at the cave, running down leads and… that's when I got Batman's call. It was – it was too late. There was nothing he could do – nothing anyone could do, you were just… gone.

"Everything was such a mess afterwards," Heather continued babbling, openly crying now, though she was trying to rein it in. "Bruce wouldn't talk to anyone. He didn't go to work, didn't eat, hardly slept, he just locked himself in the cave for days. Alfred was so out of it, that stupid Ming vase he's so fond of actually got dusty. I ended up making the funeral arrangements myself. I just made sure to put it all in Bruce's name, so there wouldn't be questions later. I even made sure there were no lilies (I knew you hated them) so I did black roses and red daisies. I even made a wreath with batarangs and wingdings," she gave a weak chuckle, before growing serious again. "It was so hard. I had to leave. I dropped off the grid for months, grieving and alone. I just came back in the last year, and it still is so hard, even now. When you died, a part of me died with you Jay, and it never healed."

Jason didn't say anything for a long time. There were so many emotions flashing across his face, Heather hardly had time to read them all. A few though were plain as day: Jason was suffering, he was angry, he was anguished, and he was disappointed. She wasn't sure which one cut her more deeply.

"If all that is true," he finally said quietly. "Then why is he still alive?"

A frown puckered her forehead. "Who?"

"Joker, goddamn it!" he screamed, punching the wall and leaving a small dent. "Why is that S.O.B. still alive?! If you cared so much about me then why is he still breathing? Why Heath?"

Heather hesitated. "Jay, I… it's complicated. He, somehow, managed to be elected a member of the UN and his record got wiped. We couldn't put him away for killing you – we tried, but we couldn't. I was so furious," her voice broke and she looked away. "I almost _did_ kill him, Jason. I came so close. One more blow and he would have never woken up."

"Then _why_?" He whispered fiercely, coming up to her suddenly. He leaned one hand against the wall beside her and peeled off her mask, staring into her blue watery eyes with his own tortured green ones.

She looked down, unable to hold his gaze. "I wanted to. So much. I was ready to do it. I was ready to hurt him like he'd hurt so many others, and to finally honor your memory by ending him. But then I remembered something… it really just came to me, out of nowhere. I thought of what you told me once.

"That sometimes you struggled to hold yourself back, and what helped you not to go too far, was to keep in mind that what we do is a tightrope act. If you lean too far over, you'd be no better than them. It made me think, Jay. I couldn't, wouldn't, let myself stoop to _his_ level. It wouldn't be right."

She closed her eyes, "so I let him live. And I've had to survive the last two years with that decision weighing on my mind and my heart. There are so many times when I wonder if I did the right thing. I'd see your headstone and think, _'why didn't I take the chance when I had it'_. But then I'd think of you – how you believed so fiercely in this war and were so passionate about what we stood for – and I'd realize it was the right thing to do... even if others didn't agree with me."

Her eyes reopened and she stared him in the eye as she said, "I didn't kill the Joker, Jason, because I promised myself and everyone I cared about that I would never become that person. I would never allow the rage and the fury to dominate me. I wouldn't live long enough to become the villain, even if it killed me trying to be the hero."

_To be continued…_


	22. Music Soothes the Soul

_Yes, I admit it: this is nothing but good fluffy filler. Not even continuing the FSA right now, I need more time to work with it. However, I really wanted to give you guys something. Since I doubt anyone wants more filler in TLH, I thought I'd give it to you here. This is, pretty obviously, around the time when Heather's still sort of new to the group – hence before she and Kaldur are even really dating. Just needed to note that :) Anyway, review if you would, I could use the extra inspiration. By the way, there'll be an important author's note at the end that I'm asking you read. I'd put it here, but this one's long enough. So please read it when you reach the end of the chapter, thanks :D Enjoy guys…_

**What a Web We Weave**

**22) Music Soothes the Soul**

Kaldur cocked his head to the side thoughtfully. "What is that noise?" he asked the others.

They stopped what they were doing. Even Conner looked up from the snowy TV. Everyone paused to listen, but it was Robin who spoke first.

"That's just Heather," he said with a shrug, going back to messing with his smart phone.

Artemis frowned. "Doing what?" She asked from the middle of a pile of papers. She hated chemistry with a passion, but she had to finish this work since it was due on Monday.

Kid Flash poked his head out from the refrigerator, "Yeah, I'm a little concerned. I mean, it is shaking the walls." He pointed out, grinning a little which earned a groan from Zatanna.

"Get your head out of the gutter, Wally, some of us want to keep our lunches in our stomachs." She said disgustedly with a head shake.

"She's playing her records," Robin explained.

"What's a record?" M'gann asked from a bowl of cake batter she was stirring.

"A vinyl record was one of the first inventions that could document and replay sound, usually music. They were very popular from the 1800s through to the 1980s, before the compact disc replaced it," Superboy answered, his eyes still on the (apparently) fascinating static.

M'gann only looked more confused so Robin clarified, "It's a really, really big CD."

"Oh! Hello Megan," she said with a giggle. "I remember what those are now."

"Who still listens to records?" Wally asked, wrinkling his nose. "Even CDs are pretty old school these days. Give me an MP3 any day!"

Artemis rolled her eyes. "They're actually pretty cool, Kid Mouth. And they've been making a comeback recently because the sound quality is much better than a CD or a digital file."

Zatanna nodded in agreement. "The last concert I went to, the band was selling their new album on both CD and vinyl records, for about the same price."

While Wally pouted over this rebuke, Robin smirked and everyone supposed that behind his sunglasses his eyes were probably dancing in amusement. "Heather is insanely proud of that collection, and frankly it's huge. Most of it is made up of albums her parents had, but a good handful are ones she bought herself. Careful not to get into a conversation with her about it, she'll have you bored to tears in no time," he cackled and continued his game of Angry Birds.

With that, the others went back to their various activities. Thoughtfully, Kaldur stood and walked down the hall to Heather's room. The door was closed, but it barely contained the sound of a heavy bass and a pulsing drumbeat. He knocked, but after almost a minute, he was quite sure that she hadn't heard him so he knocked again, louder this time. Suddenly, the music lowered significantly, which made the Atlantian's own breathing and heartbeat seem ridiculously loud.

The door opened, and Heather poked her head out. "Oh hey," she said, as if she hadn't just been trying to deafen herself. "Is it too loud? I can turn it down. I just get so into the music that I forget the rest of the world is there, you know?" She grinned, running her fingers through her messy hair, making it look even wilder. She'd probably been head banging and dancing around her room like the crazy music lover she was.

"No, it's not that loud," Kaldur shook his head. Just because the pots on the wall were shaking in the kitchen, it didn't mean it was really that loud. Only that the song had an incredible beat. "What are you listening to?"

If possible, Heather's grin grew bigger, and he suddenly remembered, too late, Robin's warning. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the room, closing the door. Now inside, Kaldur could make out the thrashing beat softly playing from a record player on the floor. Scattered around it and stacked vertically on a large shelf were hundreds of LP records. The records each had unique artwork on the cover, ranging from pictures of the artists to crazy drawings to elaborate writing.

"Right now, it's Beastie Boys, but I was thinking of switching to Michael Jackson's _Thriller_ album next," Heather replied, plopping herself into a small cleared space in the center of the floor, folding her legs in a meditation style. The rest of her floor, as well as her bed, were covered in stacks of LPs.

Kaldur frowned. "I'm not sure what a beast like boy is, but they certainly make very rowdy music."

Heather laughed. "You think this is crazy, you haven't even heard Led Zeppelin yet." Kaldur only gave her a mystified look, making her stifle another giggle.

"I'll show you, come here," she beckoned, grabbing a handful of records and moving them aside so he had room to sit beside her.

Once Kaldur was seated, Heather picked up a random album and began outlining the artist's basic facts, a brief history behind the band and the record itself, and some facts about the genre of music it was classified under. She went on like this for a long while, going from one record to the next jumping bands, genres, eras, styles and other categories. She transitioned from each as easily as she jumped through the obstacle course during training.

For the most part, Kaldur merely listened, nodding occasionally. Of course they had music in Atlantis, but it was different than on the Surface World, and all these names, dates, bands; all the history was truly fascinating to hear about, especially from someone as vivacious as Heather. Sometimes he'd ask a clarifying question, but mostly he was just content to sit and watch Heather discuss one of her passions with him. He loved how animated she got, expressing freely how she felt about: each of the boy bands of the 90s; or watch as she conveyed through more than words her disappointment of missing Woodstock; or why she preferred The Beatles to The Beach Boys; or how she had high hopes for a new band called Foxy Shazam that she'd seen recently at a concert with her friends.

Robin was right: Heather was very proud of her collection. But as for the bored to tears part… Kaldur could honestly say he was anything but bored.

"Kaldur? Surface world to Kal, come in if you copy," Heather waved a hand in front of Aqualad's face, shaking him from his thoughts. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get so out of control. I just get so excited and you know how I have a tendency to babble," she gave a sheepish grin.

"You've nothing to apologize for," Kaldur shook his head. "This is very interesting. I'm having a good time listening to you."

Heather blushed slightly but smiled, clearly pleased. "Oh, okay. Well, what else can I tell you?"

Kaldur looked around and picked up a record sleeve. It had a picture of an African American man playing a trumpet. "What can you tell me about this man? Dizzy Gillespie?"

Heather grinned, "Tons." That discussion went on for a long while as well. Eventually though, they both grew quiet once more. The record player was still quietly playing in the background, Etta James now.

"Hey, Kal?" Heather began softly, fingering the cover of _Hell Freezes Over_.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering… you think you might want to, I don't know, go see a band play live music sometime… with me?" Heather glanced up through thick eyelashes, then ducked her head back down again quickly.

Kaldur smiled. "I'd like that very much."

Heather grinned, let out a relieved breath. "Cool. It's a date."

_AN: Okay guys, I've got a proposition for you. I know that I know what Heather looks like, but what do you guys think she looks like? What is the image you get in your mind? I want to know, so I'm sending out this challenge: If you guys can draw – or can't – I'd like to see your impression of Heather put on digital paper._

_Draw Heather (with or without supporting cast, as Fang or Black Widow or Black Bat, which came in between) and post it on deviant art or another website (just clarify which, so I'll know) and send me a message either through FanFic or deviant (my account name is the same there as here) about how to find it._

_I'll be judging which I like best. If I pick your drawing, you'll be able to dictate what I write next. You can tell me to work on finishing another chapter of TLH, tell me to finish a story arc already, or to write out a scene you think should happen in either TLH or W4. It's up to the winner, (or winners *winkwink*). So what are you waiting for? Go forth my pretties and conquer! …Pretty sure I just butchered two or three quotes just now, but you get what I mean :D Happy hunting, guys!_


	23. This Sucks - Part One

_Alright, so before we start, I need to say a few words__...__ actually a lot of words. Just bare with me, okay?_

_First off, the reason for the delays in updates is in part because of my schedule this year (I'm utterly swamped) and also because I have been working my butt off to conclude the next portion of the FSA, as well as the chapter here, "This Sucks". Originally, I was going to hold off posting TS until it was entirely finished. However, this particular aspect of my universe has sort of gained a life of its own… Its forty pages long so far – 40 PAGES! That is by far the longest single chapter I've ever written for this story (not including arcs). So, to be fair to you guys and give you something to chew on while FSA is being done, I decided to break up "This Sucks" into about four parts (give or take). Plus, I really wanted to do it because it will explain how Heather becomes Fang – and that's all you're getting out of me about it__._

_That being said, I should also mention now that our first official entry for my impromptu drawing contest is The Avenging Spider-Fan. Thanks for taking up the challenge and good luck to you. However, this cannot be a true contest with only one participant. So please if you wish to toss your hat into the ring, send me a PM and let me know, then get started drawing. Remember, the winner will have power over moi to dictate whatever I write next__.__ You name it – I'll have to write it._

_For everyone's common knowledge, I will be expounding on the relationship between Heather and Jason in the next episode of FSA, nevertheless, I want to state something now. They never were and never will be a shipping possibility. I love Jason too guys (especially as Red Hood), but you have to remember that Heather is five years older than him. That means a lot in a relationship when they meet while both are relatively young (15 and 20 respectively). So I'm sorry to burst bubbles, but Jather will never happen… I can't even come up with a good shipping name for them, that's how much they don't work!_

_One last thought. I'm starting up my own vlog on youtube called "My View in Two". It will be where I talk about things that are bugging me or which interest me in two minutes (more or less), and occasionally discuss a topic for twenty-two minutes, if I'm really vexed. The first episode is already up, where I rant over the five year time skip of YJ, but I'll be redoing it soon as the sound quality is horrendous. Phew. Now that all that hot mess is out of the way, let's get on with the show…_

**23) This Sucks – Part One**

Heather tapped rapidly across a holo-keypad, narrowing her eyes at the screen. A few more click-clacks from the keys, a couple of double enters and she let her fingers rest, a satisfied smile on her face.

"How's it coming?" Robin asked from behind.

Heather turned and smirked. "Great, actually, I'm already done. The Mountain's computer is now updated with the latest Stark tracking tech. If some baddie on the League's radar so much as sneezes in Bermuda, you'll see it. I'll need to reboot the system for the changes to take effect, but give it an hour or so and you'll be back online."

Robin returned the smirk, giving her arm a mock punch. "Nice, can't thank you enough. Much as Batman hates to admit it, Stark is really on top when it comes to this new stuff."

Heather shook her head. "He's a pompous ass, and I hate working for him, but it does have its advantages. Including free proto type toys he doesn't find amusing enough," she grinned.

"Still can't believe he's, well, you know," Robin looked perplexed.

Heather laughed. "Dude, is he really all that different from Batman? Okay yeah, his play-boy, billionaire thing isn't an act, but still the similarities are uncanny."

"Just don't let Batman hear you say that," Robin warned.

"Oh please," Heather waved her friend off. "I've been training with Bats long enough to know when to keep things to myself. You don't have to save me all the time, Robbie, I'm a big girl now. Batman has even been hinting that he thinks I might be ready to go solo."

"That is if you can ever come up with an original alter ego," Robin teased. "What is the possibility count up to now? Twenty-something?"

She pouted and stuck out her tongue. "Shove it, Robin, it's not as easy as it sounds. I just haven't found one that's really… well, me. I mean, I'm not becoming Spider-Woman," she shuddered slightly, "so what else is there that applies to spiders? Harry already has Arachnid covered, and I'm not becoming something dumb like Lady Spider."

"True. That's way too close to Madam Web anyway," he shrugged.

She poked his chest playfully, "See? It's going to take some time. Meanwhile, I'm perfectly happy doing work in the shadows as Black Bat. When I do leave, I'll let someone else take up that mantle," she turned back to the computer to start the reboot process. "Of course Babs seems hell-bent on Batgirl, so maybe no one will ever use it after me."

Her old friend shrugged. "You never know. Maybe Batman will take in another girl apprentice other than you or Babs."

She glanced at him for a long moment, before both cracked grins. "Nah," they replied in unison.

Just then the zeta beam started up. _Recognized, Artemis B07, Kid Flash B03, Superboy B04, Miss Martian B05, Zatanna Zatara B08._

The team came in, laughing (or in Artemis and Kid Flash's case, flirt fighting) as the light from the zeta died behind them. It was M'gaan that spotted Robin and Heather on the main holopad, both dressed in civvies.

"Heather!" Megan cried, flying over to give her friend a warm hug. "What are you doing here?"

Heather gave a half laugh, hugging the Martian back. "Just doing some contract work for the League; they needed some tech help and called me up. I just finished actually. Robin here was trying to distract me so I'd stay longer." She sent a smirk at the Boy Wonder.

"Hey!" Robin retorted. He folded his arms across his chest, put out he'd been caught. "You weren't fighting the conversation."

Heather waved carelessly. "Details, details," she dismissed, accepting hugs from Zatanna, Artemis, and fists bumps from Wally and Conner.

"Where have you been?" the clone demanded, raising an eyebrow.

"We've missed you!" Zatanna tacked on with a smile.

Heather shrugged, putting her hands into the pockets of her hoodie. "I haven't been anywhere special. Sort of busy, I guess. My new civilian job is pretty demanding. Between it and training, I hardly have time for anything else. It's really starting to bug Kurt, but there's not much I can do." She grimaced ever so slightly as a shooting pain went through her jaw, clenching her fists inside her pocket where no one could see them.

"Working for the man? Really, Heather, I'm ashamed of you," Wally replied teasingly. "You'll never see me in a white collar job!"

Artemis rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, but didn't comment.

Heather chuckled slightly, ignoring the twinge it gave her. "It's not exactly what someone would traditionally call a 'white collar' job, Wally. It can be very interesting, and the benefits are…" she paused as the pain intensified, swallowing. "Well, beneficial," she ended lamely.

"What kind of work do you do?" M'gaan asked curiously, eager to learn more about her friend's new life.

"It's kind of on the down low, I can't really talk about it," Heather replied regretfully. She silently sighed in relief as the pain in her mouth subsided for a moment.

"It's sort of like my whole sunglasses thing," Robin added, putting his hands on his small hips. "She's under strict orders from her boss – like I am from Batman – to keep it on a need to know basis. Even some of the people who _really_ need to know, don't."

"What he said," Heather agreed. As another intense wave of pain hit her, she couldn't conceal a wince.

"Are you alright?" Megan asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," Heather refuted gently, waving her off. "I think it's just a tooth ache. I've been having trouble with my jaw for a week or so now." She made a small noise of discomfort as the pain kicked up a couple of notches.

"You didn't mention this before," Robin said, his forehead creasing as his eyes narrowed.

"I didn't want to worry you. It's just a tooth ache," Heather replied, rubbing her jaw.

"Are you sure that's all it is?" Zatanna inquired, tilting her head to the side.

"What else would it be?" Heather responded doubtfully.

"I could take a look," Conner suggested, "Superman's been helping me hone my x-ray vision."

Heather shrugged in a knock-yourself-out way, unable to answer verbally.

Conner narrowed his eyes, concentrating on Heather's jaw line. Although the genomorphs didn't provide him with useful information, like how to talk to girls, or the secret to beating Robin and Wally at _Halo 4_, they did give him a good bit of medical data. He frowned as he examined his friend's jaw bone. It definitely looked wrong. "I can't be sure," he muttered. "But it almost looks like you're growing new teeth."

Several disbelieving glances were thrown his way, the most potent being Wally's. "Dude, that's impossible. Human's grow in all their adult teeth by early to middle childhood."

"I know that," Conner snapped, looking irritated. "I'm just telling you what I see." He continued his sweep of Heather's bone structure, pausing when he reached her chest level.

Heather noticed this and shifted uncomfortably. "Um, Con? It's not nice to stare at a girl's chest with x-ray vision; particularly when she isn't your girlfriend."

Megan gave her boyfriend a hurt look as Conner's frown deepened. "It's strange," he said, apparently ignoring them, "your ribs look wrong as well."

"What do you mean?" Robin asked. He gently felt the lower portion of his friend's rib cage, like he would if he were checking for broken or cracked bones.

Heather allowed his fingers to roam in that region, knowing he wouldn't feel too high – he was well aware that she'd kick his ass from here back to Gotham if he did. She winced slightly as he felt along her floating ribs and the lower portion of her sternum. _Why does that hurt so much? I haven't gotten hit in either of those places over the last several weeks._

"Ouch," she muttered, "easy Robin. When did you get super strength?" she grimaced as he touched a particularly sore spot at the same time as stabbing pain radiated in her mouth again.

Robin immediately dropped his hands, face riddled with confusion and alarm. "Heather, I barely touched them, I swear. Maybe we should get you into the medical bay."

"I'm fine, really," Heather muttered, then abruptly sucked in a sharp breath. She doubled over, clutching her abdomen as her body exploded with pain. Grunting, she squeezed her eyes tight, breathing hard through her nose.

"Heather!" Megan and Zatanna shrieked simultaneously.

Robin put a tentative hand on her back and Heather let out an ear splitting scream of pain.

"What did you do?!" Artemis shouted hotly, glaring at the Boy Wonder.

Robin ignored her, realizing the archer was scared, confused and just looking for someone to vent at. "Wally, get a hold of the League, tell them to get down here ASAP. Call Batman, Superman – anyone who could help. And contact Spiderman, he should know about this."

"I'm on it," Wally said, zipping over to the computer to call up a vid feed to the Watchtower.

"M'gaan and Artemis, go prep a bed in medical and start up the scanners. We need to know what's wrong with her, now," the acrobat ordered next, his tone terse.

Artemis set her face into a glare but nodded, grabbing Megan's arm and practically dragging her down the hall to the med wing.

Robin next turned to his girlfriend, his face deadly serious, "Zatanna, find anything you can in your spell books that could cause this. Anything that you think could be related, or that could help, and hurry."

Zatanna nodded, still shaking slightly as she muttered, "Right. _Ekat em ot eht yrarbil._" She disappeared in a puff of smoke.

By this point, Heather had fallen to her knees, one hand holding her up on the floor while the other still gripped her rib cage. Her whole body felt like it was on fire. Pure agony spread out in pulses from her core, spiking especially in her ribs and mouth. She gave another scream as the torture intensified by tenfold.

"Conner!" Robin yelled over his friend's cries, "I need you to get her into medical now. Help Miss M and Artemis."

Conner nodded, reaching down and picking up Heather bridal style, making her screams amplify. He winced as the sound assaulted his superhearing, but didn't complain.

"Uh, Robin?" Wally said, looking confused. There was an error message on the holoscreen in front of him. "Why can't the computer send out a vid feed?"

"Damn it, I forgot," Robin cursed gripping his hair in frustration. "Heather had to reboot the computer to activate the new software. You'll have to send out a typed up general alert instead. Be as concise as possible, we can fill them in on the details when they get here."

"What are you going to do?" Conner called as Robin headed towards the zeta.

"I'm calling in a few friends who might be able to help," Robin tossed the answer over his shoulder, typing new coordinates into the machine. "I won't be long. Take care of Heather – figure out what's wrong. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"But – !" Conner started. Wally looked up from where he was putting in his distress signal to the League. Both watched as the zeta lit up and Robin ran through, disappearing from the cave.

Conner's jaw visibly tightened. "Wally, keep trying to get someone down here," he called as he ran down the hall, Heather still in his arms.

Wally watched him leave. The arachnid's cries became fainter as they moved into a different region of the mountain, but it didn't alleviate his worry. "I hope you've got a plan, Dick," he whispered.

In the medical lab, Artemis was quickly prepping the body scanners, pulling out syringes of pain killers, sedatives, and anything else she could think to do. M'gann quickly pulled a gurney over with her telepathy and put one of the fluffiest pillows she could find onto it. Just as they'd finished and were wondering what to do next, Conner burst into the room carrying Heather, who was now pale and perspiring. The arachnid, at least, wasn't screaming anymore – for the moment, anyway. The clone quickly laid her on the gurney and Megan started up the full body scanner.

"You need to breathe evenly, Heather," Artemis advised, "Concentrate on that and nothing else. Also try to lay still. We're going to do everything we can for you."

Heather knit her brow, staring at the blue light of the scanner as she tried to maintain steady breaths. "'kay," she whispered out of the side of her mouth.

A moment later, Wally zoomed into the room. "Batman, Black Canary, Red Tornado and Superman are on their way. I couldn't reach Spiderman directly, but I left a message with Arachnid. They'll be here as soon as they can." He came up next to his girlfriend, reading the scans as the computer produced them on a holoscreen. He frowned. "This data doesn't make sense."

"What does it say?" Conner demanded tensely, leaning on the table next to Heather's still form.

"I can't be sure exactly, but it almost looks like... well, like something's changing in her on a molecular level. Whatever is happening, it's been building over time. This isn't random and it doesn't seem to have been triggered by something. Batman and Spiderman should know more, they're more familiar with Heather's genetic structure than I am," Wally clicked a few things on screen, pulling up a rotating image of the arachnid's DNA.

Everyone paled as the blue 3D model of Heather's DNA suddenly had several pieces ripped off and new red segments added on, turning her DNA an angry shade of purple.

"That – that's not normal, is it?" Artemis' voice trembled as she moved closer to Wally. He tucked her under his arm, nodding grimly.

Heather, with some difficulty, turned and looked at the model. "What does that mean?" she whispered.

The science whiz kid shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I wish I did. It almost looks like your DNA is mutating."

Heather's brow furrowed in thought. "That shouldn't be possible," she said softly, "I'm a mutate. I already have altered genes, inherited from my father. I'd have to have the x-gene to be a mutant, and I don't."

"How do you know?" M'gann asked.

Heather shifted her gaze back to the scanner above her, which was continuing its analysis of her structure. "A friend of mine looked into it," she replied simply, grimacing as another surge of pain ran through her body.

YJxYJxYJ

Dick ran out of the zeta location in an old, closed garage in Bayside, New York. He made a beeline towards the half-open door, dodging stacks of old tires, piles of rusty pieces of metal and tools. Once out in the sunlight, he glanced around the street quickly. About three and a half blocks up he spotted a line of taxis idling by the curb. Smiling slightly in relief, Dick ran as fast and hard as he could towards them, jumping into the backseat of the nearest car.

"The Xavier Institute for Gifted Students, please," Dick said, breathing harder than normal. "And hurry!" he added.

The driver looked up from a newspaper, his expression annoyed. "Kid, can't you read? I'm off duty. Now get out of my cab," he gave the paper a ruffle and settled down again to continue his reading.

Dick slapped the divider angrily. "Listen! This is an emergency! I'll pay you whatever fare you charge, plus I'll tip thirty percent if you get me there in the next ten minutes."

The driver put down his paper, slightly intrigued. He met Dick's gaze in the rearview mirror, sizing him up. "You good for it?" he asked.

"That and then some," Dick snapped, his foot tapping impatiently.

The driver nodded slowly, "Make it forty percent, and you got a deal kid."

Dick grunted irritably. "Fine! Just go, will you? Someone's life is depending on this!" He sat back and folded his arms tightly across his chest.

The driver snorted, shaking his head. "How many times have I heard that one?" he muttered, starting the car.

Despite being a royal pain, the driver was good on his word. They were pulling up to the gates of the institute in six minutes flat. Dick hurriedly pulled out the untraceable credit card Bruce gave him for League emergencies and swiped it through the reader, adding in the appropriate tip.

The driver grinned. "Hey, you're alright kid. Hope you save your friend!" With a cheery wave, the taxi pulled away from the gates.

Dick rolled his eyes. "Jerk," he muttered.

Turning back to the imposing gates, he was reminded of a persistent problem he'd been trying to ignore since he came up with this half baked idea. Getting inside was no issue. It was whether the Professor would listen to him that was worrying the Boy Wonder… Actually, it was more like whether Wolverine wouldn't shred him to pieces before he could get to the Professor that was really bugging him.

_One way to find out,_ he thought.

Foregoing the intercom, Dick scaled the wrought iron fence quickly, landing in a half crouch on the other side. From there, it was child's play, mostly because Heather had once outlined the ground's security system, while he'd told her the ins and outs of the manor.

That happened several months ago, but Dick still remembered it clearly. They'd been bored on a stakeout and come up with the 'Who's Better?' game. They compared superheroes, villains, lairs, evil plots, and even, yes, security systems. They'd argued on whether Batman's security was better than the X-Men's for hours. Still hadn't managed to come to a conclusion after all the time that had passed.

With a final, one-handed flip over a particularly tricky laser, Dick landed on the front steps and rushed up to the door. Knocking rapidly, he could hardly contain his nervous energy as he waited for someone to answer.

_There's like twenty-something mutants living here,_ he thought, frustrated. _What? They can walk through walls and change shapes, but none of them can answer a door!_

As if in response to his thought, the lock clicked and the massive oak door swung inward. A tall, pretty red head that reminded Dick of Heather looked outside, raising an eyebrow at the acrobat. "Can we help you?" she asked, tone cautious but polite.

"I need to see Professor Xavier," Dick replied, cutting out any small talk.

"Professor Xavier is a very busy man," the red head said smoothly, "but perhaps I can help you?"

Dick gave an annoyed grunt, pulling at his hair. "I don't have time for this!" With a leap, he flipped over the red head and bolted towards the grand staircase. Unfortunately he didn't get very far.

The ginger had turned and with a flick of her hand had lifted Dick off his feet, levitating him above the marble floor. She walked over to him calmly as he tried to find a way out of her telepathic grasp. Of course he'd had telekinesis used on him before – M'gann used it regularly on missions, and he'd worked with Martian Man-Hunter on several occasions – but it wasn't used against him very often. He almost pitied the bad guys who'd ever fought either of the Martians.

"Alright, kid, I tried to be nice," the girl said, walking around Dick's floating form with her arms crossed. "But it's just not polite for people to run into stranger's homes. Now who are you and what do you want?" A scowl marred her pretty features as she glared at the acrobat.

Dick rolled his eyes behind his glasses. "I _told_ you! I have to talk to Professor Xavier. Please, someone's life depends on it," he added, watching as several emotions flickered across her face, the most evident being annoyance and distrust.

"But you won't tell me who you are," She pointed out, her forehead creasing in what looked like concentration.

_Maybe the telekinesis is a new power,_ Dick thought absently, _she might be having trouble controlling it._ Out loud, he replied, "who I am isn't important. Look," he sighed. "A friend of mine, she's really sick and the only one who might have a clue how to help her is Xavier. You probably know her actually – she's dating someone who lives here."

That made the red head pause. "What? Who?"

Just then a familiar blue elf-like young man came through the main foyer from another room. He had his hands in his pockets and was whistling. He'd nearly made it through the room when he stopped walking, cutting his tune short as he took a couple of steps back and turned.

Staring at the telepath and Dick, Kurt tilted his head to the side, clearly confused, "Uh… Robin? Vhat are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, just…" Dick couldn't help his grin, "hanging around." He waved his hands in a look-ma-no-hands way.

"You know this guy?" The red head asked.

Kurt nodded, "Ya Jean, he's one of Heazher's friends, from Young Justice. Robin from Gozham – ve helped zhem before, remember?"

Jean knit her eyebrows and stared at Robin's face, clearly thinking. "Oh, yes I remember that now. I guess I didn't recognize you without the costume."

Dick held back the urge to do a face-palm… barely. "Yeah, that's great. Now can you get me down? I have to see the Professor! Heather's not doing so hot and –"

"Heazher's sick?!" Kurt exclaimed. Jean was so shocked she lost concentration and let Dick fall. Fortunately, years of training gave him the agility to land in a crouch so he didn't break his ankle.

"Finally!" he exalted.

He sprang back up and continued running down the hall towards the Professor's study, while the two mutants followed. He tossed explanations over his shoulder as they went. "She was working at the cave when she started having a pain in her mouth, then her chest was hurting, and the next thing we know she's screaming her head off. The guys are taking care of her in the med wing, but even Wally isn't smart enough to find out what's wrong. We've contacted the League already, and they should be on their way."

"Still a little unclear about why you're here, Robin," Jean replied, sounding frustrated. "Your mind is incredibly well shielded for a human; I can't get a read off you, so help me fill in the blanks here?"

"The Professor is the leading expert in mutation and altered DNA. He's probably one of the few guys on the planet that could possibly know what's going on with Heather, and how to fix it," Dick replied.

"Ya he is," Kurt agreed. "However, he is an expert on human's vizh zhe _x-gene_. Heazher does not have it, ve have already checked."

"I know," Dick frowned. "But at the moment, he's the only lead I have. I have to at least try."

They turned a couple more corners before skidding to a halt in front of the Professor's study. Without knocking, Dick threw open the doors, startling the half dozen or so people inside. Standing or sitting around the room were Professor Xavier, Logan, Ororo, Kitty, Rogue and Scott.

Xavier spoke first, frowning slightly, "Robin, this is a surprise. It's very rare that we see you here at the Institute. Unfortunately, I sense you're not here for a friendly visit."

Robin nodded seriously. "No, I'm not. Look I know this is probably really abrupt and strange but I need your help."

Logan snorted. "Since when does the Justice League need help from us?"

"Last ah checked, we were just the convenient freaks that kept mutants under control," Rogue added, a bit of bite to her southern drawl.

"This isn't about the League," Robin denied, shaking his head.

"Then why are you here?" Scott countered. "Heather may be welcome at the Institute, but I don't remember extending an invitation to you or the rest of your team. At least she's somewhat akin to us, unlike the rest of you."

"That's why I'm here – because of Heather!" Robin exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "If you people would just let me finish, I can explain everything."

"Then speak, young one," Ororo chimed in calmly, stepping towards the acrobat.

"Or better yet, let me see what you're trying to tell us," the Professor offered. He rolled forward in his chair and offered his hand to Dick. "Please, I will not pry where I am not wanted. But if this is about Heather, then let me see if I can help."

Robin sighed. "It goes against my instincts to let a telepath poke around in my head… but if it will help Heather, then I don't think I have a choice." He took Xavier's hand and closed his eyes, focusing on what had happened earlier at the cave, while blocking out personal memories and information.

Charles closed his eyes as well, carefully taking in only what the young hero allowed him to see and ignoring any errant thoughts. A small frown appeared on his face and a crease came to his forehead as he finished reviewing Robin's memories.

"Oh dear," he murmured, dropping the boy's hand.

Robin nodded grimly. "You see now why I had to come?"

"I do indeed," the Professor rubbed his temples carefully. "Though I'm not sure how much I can help," he added, sounding apologetic.

"Please!" Robin insisted, "She's one of my best friends and she might be dying. Can't you at least come and see her? Run some tests, or take samples? Something, anything, that might help?"

"What's going on, Chuck?" Wolverine cut in, frowning at Robin suspiciously.

Xavier considered his words wisely, not wanting to further upset Robin; or to alarm Kurt or Rogue, as they were both very close with Heather. "I'm not entirely sure, but it appears that Heather is suffering from some sort of illness on a molecular level. I'd have to examine her myself to be sure though."

"What?" Rogue exclaimed. "Is she alright?"

"Last I checked, she was in a lot of pain," Robin reported glumly, folding his arms tightly across his chest. "But she still seemed cognitive, at least." He shook his dark head. "I've never seen anything like what's happening to her." He explained in brief to the others what he'd already shown the Professor, Kurt and Jean.

Logan and Ororo looked thoughtful.

"Charles, those symptoms sound very familiar," the weather witch murmured.

"Didn't Heather's old man go through something like that? It was at least a decade ago, though it might have been longer," Logan added. "I remember him coming to ask you for help as well."

"Yes," Charles nodded. "And at the time, I had to turn him away. I had little to no experience working with mutations outside of the realm of the x-gene."

Hearing this, Robin's face fell slightly. He turned away from the others and towards the large windows. He took a few steps over and stared at the blue sky outside, face unreadable. _I can't lose her, she's like the sister I never had. Heather's been there for me through some really hard stuff and, aside from Wally, she's the only one on the team that knows all my secrets._

Kurt came a few steps forward, also looking troubled. "So, you can't help her?" he asked, chest feeling heavy.

"I said _at the time_ I had to turn Spiderman away," the Professor smiled slightly. "But much has changed since then. Technology has evolved, and I've expanded my area of expertise. While my strengths still lie with finding humans with the x-gene, I've been studying other forms of mutations as well, including mutates like Heather. I can't make any guarantees," this he said as he turned to Robin, "but I will do whatever I can to help her."

Robin looked over his shoulder, a small bit of hope shining in his face. "Thank you," he said softly.

The Professor nodded his head, smiling kindly. "We should leave as soon as possible. Ororo, I'm leaving you in charge. Jean and Scott, I want you to please stay here with her and keep order. Logan, I'd like you to accompany me, and I'll notify Hank to be ready to come as well, I'll need his help."

"Vhat about us?" Kurt asked, looking between himself and Rogue.

"Heather's our friend too, Professor," Rogue added, rubbing gloved hands over her covered arms anxiously. "Please, can't we come? We'll stay out of the way," she promised, and Kurt nodded vigorously.

"If Robin does not object, then neither do I. You must understand though, this request was not sanctioned by the Justice League, and I have no doubt they would want to keep their secrets closely guarded just as we do here." The Professor raised a questioning eyebrow at the young acrobat.

Robin didn't have to think twice. "Of course you can come. Heather would want to see you. If there are any problems, I'll take care of it, so don't worry," he added. And he could… probably. He was, after all, not only Batman's protégé, but the first sidekick of the League and many of the original members considered him to be a nephew of sorts. Though he tried not to take advantage of it too much, he was often granted a lot of freedom by the founders, having known them for so long.

"Then it's settled," Charles said.

Kurt and Rogue exchanged relieved looks, while Logan didn't seem to care either way. Robin imagined that he was merely thinking of all the ways this could go wrong. The man had always struck Dick as an insufferable pessimist, but he was smart enough to never point it out, particularly in front of the mutant. Contrary to popular belief, Robin did _not_ have a death wish.

"I'll get the x-jet fired up," Wolverine volunteered with a grunt.


	24. This Sucks - Part Two

_AN: Since no one seems to read these anyway, I'll be brief. FSA is still under construction, but I'm working on it as much as I can with my schedule. The drawing contest is still open and looking for new participants. It's been pointed out a few times, so I'll state this now so everyone knows: eventually, when I feel this story has come to its completion, or close to it, I will be going back and reordering all the chapters into a chronological timeline. I can't say when that will be, just that I have it planned and fixed firmly in mind. Without further ado, enjoy the next installment…_

**This Sucks – Part Two**

Back at Mount Justice, Batman and Black Canary were just arriving through the zeta beam. They came in to find Wally – what else? – pacing the length of the room in a blur.

"Wally, what's going on? Your message was marked urgent but all it said was to come to the cave and it had to do with Heather," Black Canary called out to the speedster.

"Huh?" Wally had been lost in his thoughts, but hearing Dinah's voice he came to an abrupt halt. His sneakers skidded across the concrete, leaving twin streaks of rubber. Once he'd stopped, he ran over to the older heroes, talking quickly. "Thank god you're here! Something mega weird is going on with Heather!"

"So we gathered. But 'weird' how?" Batman asked, keeping his voice calm. He was hoping that it would soothe Wally's obviously frazzled nerves, but it didn't seem to be working.

"I don't know! I can't understand it! The scans look like gibberish to me, and science is the one class I'm doing really well in," Wally babbled, running a hand through his shock of red hair. "And then Robin just ran off through the zeta without telling us where he was going – only that he was going to get help, but he's not back yet. And Zatanna's going through her spell books for the answer but hasn't found anything. And Conner's really upset – well, more than usual anyway. And Miss Martian started crying, like, five minutes ago and no one has been able to get her to stop. And Artemis –"

"Wally!" Black Canary shouted, barely holding back a canary cry just to get through the boy's incessant blathering.

Wally's monologue came to an abrupt halt, his tongue faltering as his brain managed to catch up. He took a deep breath and let out it slowly. "Right, sorry."

"Now," Dinah continued in a calmer tone. "Can you please explain, briefly, what exactly is going on?"

Wally bit his lip, glancing towards the hallway leading to medical. "I think you'd understand better if you saw for yourself," he said finally. "I'm going to wait here for Superman and Red Tornado… and Robin," he added. _If he ever gets his ass back here,_ he tacked on internally, more than a little irritated at his best friend.

"Send them to the med bay as soon as they arrive," Batman instructed. "And tell Robin, I want to speak to him."

"Yes, Batman," Kid Flash swallowed, feeling nervous for his best friend. Batman's tone suggested he didn't approve of his ward running off without telling anyone his whereabouts. Something told the speedster that the discussion wouldn't be a pleasant chat over Alfred's cookies… and that was a shame, considering Alfred's cookies were amazingly awesome.

Batman and Black Canary then left for the medical wing of the mountain. The heroine glanced at the brooding bat carefully, judging his mood. There was a bit of exasperation lurking in the corners of his face, which she assumed stemmed from Robin leaving without notice, but there was also a bit of worry. The worry was most likely for what could be happening to Batman's newest student.

She was one of the few members of the league that was aware of Heather's temporary situation training with Batman. She'd added her approval of it actually, as Heather had come to her asking for advice on her next move after she'd formerly left Young Justice.

The young woman had wanted to continue advancing her skills, but having cut ties with her mentor some time back, she'd been unsure of where she would go next. Heather had come up with the inspiration of training with Batman on her own, but despite her close relationship with Robin, was at first hesitant to ask. She came to Dinah for advice and the older hero had done her best to guide the arachnid to the decision that was right for her. Which as it turns out, had indeed been to work with Batman, under a new alias and to mostly work in the shadows.

So far as Black Canary knew, over the last year or so, things had been going well. But you just could never tell with Batman, seeing how he never spoke of it around the rest of the league. Even the ones who were aware of the situation were pretty much in the dark, and Heather certainly wasn't talking about it, nor was Robin.

Not that Canary was going to ask Batman about any of that. She valued her life, thank you. "I wonder where Spiderman is?" she spoke the question aloud, a puzzled frown on her beautiful face. "He should be here."

"I'm sure that the team notified him," Batman replied.

What Bruce didn't say was: _I'm sure he's coming. _Dinah noted this, but didn't point it out. They both knew that while Peter tried, his relationship with Heather had been in tattered pieces for some time – Heather had even been known to say that it was weak long before her powers manifested. No one could be completely sure, however, except Peter and Heather themselves.

They were only a few feet from the doors of the medical wing when a piercing shriek cut the silence. Immediately breaking into a run, both heroes burst into sick bay expecting a fight. They _were_ greeted by chaos, but not the kind they'd been anticipating.

On a sick bed, Heather lay sweating and screaming, convulsing in agony while Conner tried to hold her down gently (for him). M'gann was holding her head tightly, her eyes glowing as she was apparently trying to access her friend's mind in an effort to calm her down. Artemis had grabbed a syringe, probably full of pain medication, and was attempting to inject it somewhere – anywhere – into Heather's body. However, the archer was having a difficult time doing so while the arachnid shuddered and arched upward, still crying out the whole time.

"Superboy, let go of her, you're only making it worse!" Batman barked.

"M'gann, don't try to enter her mind now, you could hurt both of you," Canary added, tone stern.

The half-Kryptonian clone and Martian instantly relinquished their powers. When Conner moved back from Heather, her spasms increased and she seemed close to falling off the bed. Batman came over quickly, pressing a series of buttons that made metal restraints come out of the bed. The metal clasps lay across the girl's torso and legs, which prevented her from further injuring herself or others. Now that Heather was still to a degree, Artemis swiftly slid the syringe into her friend's arm and delivered the pain killer.

Gradually the convulsions ceased and Heather lay, panting but quiet, on the bed. "S-sorry," she murmured hoarsely. "I couldn't… stop it."

"It's alright, Heather, we know you can't help it," Artemis replied, her tone unusually gentle. She placed a calloused hand tentatively on her friend's shoulder and squeezed slightly, trying to be reassuring.

Heather gave a weak half-smile in return. She closed her eyes wearily as the medication spread throughout her systems, gradually easing the internal torture her body had been sustaining.

"Status report," Batman requested – it was put a bit too mild to be an order, but not by much. He pulled up the holo-computer to check Heather's stats as he waited for a response.

Heather took several deep breaths, her brow furrowing as she thought how to put it all together concisely. "I came to update the mountain's systems earlier, like you asked me to. I'd just finished and was rebooting the computer when I got this weird soreness in my mouth. I thought it was just a tooth ache, but then the pain got worse and worse. Suddenly my chest hurt too, and Conner said my bone structure looked odd. Then it was like someone was stabbing me with a bunch of rusty knives, and in the last twenty minutes I started having seizures."

"Have you ever experienced this before?" Black Canary asked frowning. She read the screens Batman had pulled up over his shoulder. She didn't understand all of it, but what she could see didn't look good.

Heather shook her head slightly. "No, never."

"We've been trying to figure it out while we were waiting for you," M'gann put in, her voice small. Conner walked over and put his arm around her waist. "But we haven't come up with much."

"Wally said that something was happening to Heather on a molecular level. Her DNA is mutating, and we don't know why," Conner added.

"Zatanna can't find anything either," Artemis put in.

Batman didn't reply at first, still reading the scans.

Black Canary tried to encourage the teen heroes not to give up yet. "We've only begun to look into this. I'm sure we'll find a cure for whatever's wrong with Heather soon."

"Do any of you know where Robin went?" Batman asked suddenly, never taking his attention from the screen.

Artemis and M'gann appeared puzzled. Conner hadn't bothered to tell them about the acrobat's disappearance, as other more pressing matters had come up. None of them though had any idea where the youngest member of the team had gone.

Meanwhile, Heather's face remained oddly blank at the question, immediately peaking Batman's suspicions.

"Heather?" The Dark Knight queried, tone knowing.

The spider sighed. "I might have an idea," she admitted slowly.

Seeing that this could get personal, Black Canary quietly but firmly ushered the other three teens out of the room. Though they weren't happy, Canary's stance that Heather needed rest to get better and they should leave this to Batman was hard to argue with. When they were gone, Batman finally spoke.

"And that would be what exactly?"

"You'll be mad," she replied certainly.

"No I won't."

"Yes, you will. Because I know you – you always get mad when you think you're getting one-upped, even if someone is just trying to help," Heather answered dryly.

"Answer the question now, or I'll call your mother," Batman shot back flatly.

There was a long pause after that, then a sigh. "Damn you. Alright, fine. He probably went to see Professor Xavier. He's the top scientist in genetic research and mutated DNA… and he's my friend. Robin probably figured he could help."

Now, it was Batman's turn to sigh. "I knew it was a bad idea letting him tag along with you to Bayside. The X-Men are dangerous."

"So is the Justice League, were they to be corrupted. You're both working towards the same goal. They just want acceptance, and to live in peace with the rest of the world. Is that so much to ask?" Heather replied loyally, glancing over at her mentor as he sat down in a nearby chair, rubbing his neck.

"They aren't like us Heather. Most of them don't have the control over their powers that League members do. Like that Marie girl…"

"Rogue may be a high level mutant, but she knows how to avoid hurting people accidentally. The first thing she did when her powers hurt someone else was to come looking for help at the Institute. You know that, don't act like you don't," her tone had taken on a decidedly icy edge.

"Besides, you forget that I'm one of them – if not technically then in spirit. My DNA is different from an average human's because of Dad. I'm stronger, faster, and even smarter than any other regular girl my age. What separates me from them is just a small difference in my DNA sequence. Only the lack of an X-gene keeps the government off my back."

Batman let out a long sigh and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees while putting his chin on entwined fingers. "Let's not get into another philosophical debate, Black Bat – I'm getting too old to argue with you."

"You? Old? Perish the thought," Heather replied, a teasing glint appearing in her eyes, despite the situation. "You'll out live all of us, Bats. And when you finally do die, you'll spend the rest of eternity bossing us around and berating us for croaking too soon." She let out a light chuckle that quickly turned into a sharp breath.

Instantly, Batman was back on his feet. "What's wrong?" He pressed several buttons on the machine to bring up a fresh full body scan.

"The pain –" Heather hissed through gritted teeth. "It's back. The meds aren't touching it anymore!"

"Artemis gave you that dosage just ten minutes ago, your body can't have burned through it already," Batman disputed, shaking his head.

"Well apparently, it did." Heather didn't say anything more. She was too busy screaming.

YJxYJxYJ

"How much farther?" Robin asked anxiously, looking away from the window next to his seat in the x-jet, to Professor Xavier and Wolverine up front. Sitting beside him was Kurt, with Rogue on the end and Beast seated in the back, reading a copy of _Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_ (which Robin was trying desperately not to find irony in). Both the younger mutants appeared as fidgety as the acrobat over how long it would take to reach Happy Harbor, while the adults all seemed relaxed, if serious.

"Keep your glasses on, kid. We're ten minutes out at most," Logan replied calmly, flipping a few switches on the planes controls.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it," Robin frowned, folding his arms tightly over his chest. "Heather was in really bad shape when I left and she might have gotten worse."

"We understand your worry, Robin, and it is not completely unfounded," Beast said, glancing over his book at the two students and their friend. "But rest assured that we will do everything in our power to help Heather once we arrive. You must have patience."

Rogue let out a small half-chuckle. "Ya don't know Robbie here very well, Hank," she teased, hoping to lighten up the atmosphere in the jet. "He's about as patient as a cat surrounded by dogs."

Robin shot her an annoyed look. "I'm a bird. Shouldn't the metaphor be that I'm like a bird surrounded by cats?"

"Oh that's just too cliché, sugar," Rogue replied, shaking her brown and white streaked hair, smirking.

Robin frowned thoughtfully. "_Cliché_ means something has been done too many times, so does _uncliche_ mean that something hasn't been done enough? Or maybe it should be _incliche_… _recliche_… _discliche_?"

"Ugh, vill you please stop? I'm getting a headache," Kurt pleaded, rubbing his temple.

"For once, I'm with the elf," Logan grunted.

"Sorry, old habits die hard. You should have seen me in the 'Holy –!' days," Robin smiled, but it disappeared as soon as that thought led him to another.

Heather had always loved hearing his old exclamations, as well as listen to his newer obsession with prefixes and suffixes. Some days when they got really bored on a stakeout, or while doing lab work, they'd spend hours coming up with new ones of each. He'd found out quickly that Heather was scary good at it. He wondered dismally if he'd get a chance to butcher the English language with her ever again.

_Robin, your friend will be alright._

The Boy Wonder looked up sharply as Professor Xavier's voice entered his mind and halted his depressing thoughts. The Professor was still looking ahead through the windshield, fingers in a steeple and appearing to be his normal meditative self. Yet he knew it was the telepath that murmured softly in consciousness next.

_I can feel your worry, your anxiety… you fear losing someone you've come to see as family – a sister in arms, if not in blood. Heather means a great deal to you. I understand that. I feel the same way, truthfully. She's a wonderful, gifted girl, and I consider her as one of my students. Though the answers are not forth coming at the moment, I promise that I will do everything I can to help. And have faith, little Robin. Heather is stronger than you may think._

After that, he could feel Charles retreat from his thoughts. Dick let out a silent breath of relief. Even though he trusted the man and knew the telepath would never dig into his thoughts without Dick's express permission – and Batman's as well – he'd still always felt uneasy around mind readers. Even M'gann's mental links were hard to get used to at first, and he still kept J'onn (a dear friend and close ally), at arm's length when it came to psychic connections. Still, the words of the wise mutant had calmed him considerably, and for that Dick was grateful.

Robin turned back to the window, focusing his thoughts on something more positive.

Beside Robin, Kurt fiddled with the necklace Heather had given him on their first anniversary, which had recently past. The chain was made of thick silver, and from it hung a pendant shaped like a spider inside a heart. Bobby – of course – had made fun of it, but Kurt didn't care. Well, not much anyway. He knew what it meant. It was a promise from his sweet Heather that she'd always be in his heart. He gripped it tightly in his palm now, as if just holding it close would make this whole situation go away and cure Heather of whatever this was.

He knew they were both young. They'd said as much to each other before. He also knew that she'd loved before – Kaldur'ahm only being the newest wound on her heart. But for Kurt, this was the first time. He didn't just like her or care for her. He loved her. It was as simple as that. If something happened to her that he couldn't do anything about… he wasn't sure there would be enough of him left for the Professor to piece back together again. Or if Kurt would even want him to.

Rogue meanwhile was wrapped up in her thoughts as well. Heather was one of her best friends. They shared similar tastes in humor and outlooks on life, although many said that Rogue was the more pessimistic one of them. Maybe she was. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing; only the product of the hand life had dealt her.

Despite similar circumstances between the two, Heather was always so optimistic. She was always hopeful that soon – really soon – things would change for all mutants, and they wouldn't have to worry anymore. Never mind that the Justice League didn't trust them, and most of the time barely tolerated them. Forget that the Avengers hardly acknowledged them. Heather continued to trust that things would change.

_And if things don't begin to change soon,_ Heather would often say, _then I'll make them change. The powers of Asgard, Superman, Batman, the Hulk, not even the whole Justice League will stop me! Mutants will be equal. I'll make them listen – no matter what._

Rogue admired Heather's tenacity. Whenever she set her mind to something, she saw it through to the end. Now, Marie could only hold onto the faith that her friend would see this through to the end as well.

"We're here," Logan grumbled, none too thrilled.

The three teens, the Professor and Beast all looked up as the x-jet flew over Happy Harbor in camo mode.

Robin let out a silent breath of relief. "Alright. There's a clearing just north of the mountain where we can land, and the hanger door won't be far away. We'll be inside in minutes."

"Vhat about zhe security? Von't ve set off a lot of alarms? Ve're not part of zhe League," Kurt pointed out, his brow puckering.

"Don't worry about that. I have the clearance to get you all in," Robin replied, feeling confident for the first time in quite a while.

"That's a little haughty, don't ya think?" Rogue asked, crossing her arms and quirking an eyebrow.

"Hey, when you're the first, you get a lot of privileges," Robin said, smirking.

"The first?" Logan questioned, glancing over his shoulder.

"I believe our young feathered friend is referring to being the first teen superhero in the JL, as well as Batman's partner – the only one who has ever gotten close to the Dark Knight, aside from perhaps Superman. It's a high place in history this young man holds," Beast commented, hardly looking up from his novel.

Robin's smirk widened and he sat back in his seat, placing his hands behind his head. "That's me. They don't call me the Boy Wonder for nothing."

"More like Boy Blunder," Kurt whispered to Rogue as the x-jet set down. She giggled into her gloved hand.

"I heard that," Robin responded dryly, leading them off the jet and towards the hidden hanger doors. "I work with a guy who either whispers or grunts. You're going to have to do better than that."

Rogue and Kurt exchanged amused looks, but said nothing else.

When they reached the doors, Robin brought out the key pad and typed in his security code.

_Recognized. Robin A01. Mutants Not Recognized. Identify. Identify._

"Robin override code alpha. Permit entrance of Professor X, Wolverine, Beast, Rogue and Nightcrawler," Robin ordered.

_Override code accepted. Guests authorized. Access granted._

The hanger door slid down and revealed the entrance to the garage. Robin stepped aside and gestured towards the opening. "Ladies and Professors first," he said.

Rogue smirked. "Thanks, sugar."

She and the Professor went inside, followed by Beast, Wolverine and Kurt, with Robin bringing up the rear. The doors closed behind them automatically.

"This way," Robin directed, heading towards the medical center. "They should have brought her there," he explained. Before they could reach it, they went through the main training room, where they encountered a blur making a long rut in the floor.

"Fascinating. Is this phenomenon quite normal for here?" Beast asked, adjusting his glasses.

Robin pinched the bridge of his nose. "Unfortunately. Wally! Wally, quit pacing already, or I'll tell J'onn you were the one who stole his Oreos!" he called out.

The streak skidded to a halt, letting Kid Flash's furious face become clear. He zipped over to his best friend and grabbed the acrobat by his sweatshirt. "Dude! Where have you been!? Do you have any idea what kind of a mess you left us in?"

"Of course I know KF. That's why I left. I went for backup," Robin calmly hooked a thumb over his shoulder at the X-Men behind him.

"You could have at least told me where you were going, or when you'd be back!" Kid Flash exclaimed, at the end of his rope. He barely spared the mutants a second glance as he shoved his finger first in Robin's face, then towards the med wing. "You left your friend here alone when she needed you most! You haven't had to listen to her scream! You haven't had to get updates from Miss Martian on how she's only been getting worse, not better! Batman doesn't even know what's wrong with her – none of the League members here do."

"Which, again, is why I had to leave. I knew the only person who might be able to help is Professor X. I didn't have time to explain everything," Robin shoved his friend off, his temper quickly getting the better of him.

"What makes you think he knows more than Superman, Batman, Black Canary and Red Tornado combined?" Wally demanded with a glare.

"Professor X is the leading expert in genetic mutations," Robin explained through gritted teeth. "He knows everything there is to know about mutant DNA…" he sighed and continued in a calmer voice, "and he's a friend of Heather's."

"Indeed I am," Professor X rolled his chair forward and held out his hand to Wally. "Professor Charles Xavier. You can call me Professor X though, or just Professor, if you like. That's what my students call me."

Wally looked like he wasn't going to shake the older man's hand for a moment, but finally sighed and did. "Kid Flash."

"Yes, I know," Charles smiled and sat back in his chair. "You're the so-called _fastest kid alive_, partner of the Flash. You worked once with my students on a mission, and Heather has spoken highly of you to me."

"_Fastest kid alive_?" Rogue repeated, "Y'all better not let Pietro hear that. He'd have a fit."

Kurt snorted. "You vould know. I told you dating him vas a bad idea," he said, looking both amused and disgusted.

"It was one date! Ah didn't even let that jerk kiss me goodnight," Rogue protested, folding her arms.

"Guys, focus!" Robin called. "Friend dying over here! We're wasting time. We'll make proper introductions later, _after_ we start figuring out what's wrong with Heather." He started towards the medical wing, and after a moment, the other's followed.

As they got closer to their destination, Wolverine's eyes narrowed and he sniffed the air carefully.

"What is it, old friend?" Beast asked.

Logan grunted. "Sterilizing cleaner, antiseptics, blood, vomit… the normal hospital smells."

"Vait," Kurt shot the older mutant an alarmed look. "You said blood and vomit. Is it…?"

Logan shrugged. "Hard to tell exactly, but I do smell your girlfriend. I could never forget that sticky-sweet smell she gives off. It reminds me of her old man."

Kid Flash let that sink in for a second. "Dude, did you seriously just say that Heather smells like Spiderman? …And how do you even know Spiderman?"

"Not now, Kid!" Robin snapped.

"But these are important questions," Wally protested. "Inquiring minds want to know!"

Robin ignored him, gritting his teeth and marching ahead of the others.

"Ya not too bright, are ya sugar?" Rogue commented dryly to the speedsters, as he tried to regain Robin's attention without success.

Before an argument could ensue, they came in sight of a waiting room of sorts and the double doors of the medical wing beyond. Sitting around the room talking quietly were the rest of the team. M'gann looked up first, her eyes locking with Professor Xavier for a long moment. Conner and Artemis soon also caught sight of the group. While Conner glared suspiciously at Wolverine and Beast (mostly because he resembled a blue monkey to the clone), Artemis appeared thoughtful, like she was trying to remember something.

"How is she?" Robin asked, hurrying over.

Conner stopped glaring long enough to reply. "Don't know. They kicked us out a little while ago and haven't let us back in. M'gann's reached out to Heather telepathically a few times though. She said she's doing alright, just in a lot of pain, but they're making progress and we shouldn't worry." His expression became skeptical over that. While certain human tendencies and slang baffled him, he knew when he was being lied to, even if it was supposedly for his benefit.

"Don't I know you?" Artemis said, staring at Rogue's face searchingly. "I swear we've met before."

Rogue nodded. "We have. The earthquake in the Midwest?" she prompted.

Understanding dawned on Artemis' face. "Oh that's right. I forgot about that. It's Rogue, right?"

"Uh-huh, and you're Artemis?" Rogue raised an eyebrow.

The archer nodded. She glanced at Kurt and noticed how Heather's boyfriend was staring at the double doors. "Kurt, don't worry. They're doing everything they can," she said, adding silently, _for whatever that's worth._

"I know," Kurt nodded. "And vith zhe Professor here now, it von't be too much longer, I'm sure." He gave a weak smile.

"Still don't really get how he's supposed to help," Wally muttered.

"Because he's the leader of the X-Men," M'gann answered, her eyes losing their green glow after connecting with Charles' mind.

"And you are an extraordinary young lady," the Professor smiled. "I've never before encountered Martian telepathic powers, but if they're normally anything like yours, I'd love to meet others. Simply incredible."

M'gann returned the smile. "On Mars, telepathy is so normal. Sometimes I feel a little out of place here on Earth with my powers, but being able to meet others with the same gift is always a pleasure."

"Likewise, telepathy is a rare gift in humans and even mutants," Beast commented. "It takes a lot of control to wield such a gift."

M'gann blushed, "I don't know about that."

Meanwhile, Robin looked about ready to come out of skin at this point. "Can we _please_, for the love of God, focus? Sunt atât de aproape de declanșarea unui Batglare pe toate de tine!"*

"Um, was that in English?" Artemis asked, brow wrinkling.

"No, it was Romanian," M'gann replied, "at least I think so…"

"Sounded like it to me," Kurt agreed.

Kid Flash elbowed his best friend. "Nice, dude, real nice. I'm sure Batman will be ecstatic."

A blush crawled up Robin's neck. "It was an accident. Sometimes it just slips out when I'm frustrated, okay?"

"Oh dude!" Kid Flash smacked his forehead. "I totally forgot to mention – Batman said he wanted to talk with you when you got back."

"Did he say talk, or speak?" Robin questioned seriously, uneasiness creeping into his voice.

Wally thought it over for a moment. "Speak, definitely speak."

"Rahatul,"** Robin muttered in his mother tongue, rubbing his neck. "Okay, you guys wait out here for now. I'm going to take Beast, Professor X and Wolverine in to make introductions. I'll be back soon."

"Why can't we come? You're the one who took off without saying anything and left Heather alone," Conner crossed his arms and sat back in his seat. Had he possessed heat vision, Robin had no doubt the clone would be trying to fry him right then.

"There are too many people in there now as it is – they'll need room to work. As much as I hate to say it, we'll only be in the way. We need to let the adults handle this… and I really hate to say that," Robin's mouth twisted in distaste, along with several of the other teenagers standing there.

"Vait," Kurt held up a three-fingered hand as they were getting ready to go in, "Can I at least see her? Just for a moment?"

Professor X smiled, "Of course Kurt. But you'll have to leave soon afterward. As Robin said, there's work to be done."

"Da, I can do zhat," Kurt agreed reluctantly.

"Tell her we're all here and we're not going anywhere until she's well again," Artemis called out as they walked away.

"We'll tell her," Robin promised with a small smile.

_AN: Romanian Translations:_

_*I am so close to unleashing a Batglare on all of you!_

_**Shit_


	25. This Sucks - Part Three

_Not much to say this time, really. There's a new My View in Two vlog up on youtube – find it under my username there: "Roserae16". I'm getting near the end of the parts I already have written up for this story arc, but since this is my spring break, I might make another good dent in it by the time next weekend rolls around. Dunno, we'll see. Anyway, as always, enjoy…_

**What a Web We Weave: Chapter 24**

**TS – Part Three**

The group came inside the medical room and found Batman and the other Leaguers working over a holographic table, fiddling with several scientific formulas and quietly discussing ideas. A few feet away, Heather lay on the same bed, now covered by a sheet. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was even, however her skin was paler than normal and had a thin sheen of sweat covering it.

Superman looked up first and frowned. His eyes scanned the faces in front of him, finally landing on Robin, "What's going on here?"

Black Canary, Red Tornado and Batman looked up and the Dark Knight's mouth visibly tightened in seeing the mutants.

"Before you freak," Robin started, lifting his hands in a pacifying manner and taking a few steps forward. "I brought them here. This was my idea, and I want to be heard first before you pass any kind of judgment."

He paused, and once he was sure no one was going to interrupt, continued, "As you probably know, these are some of the top members of the X-Men: Wolverine, Beast, and Professor X, as well as Nightcrawler. I brought them here because Professor X is a leading expert in DNA mutation and I thought we could use his help. The more eggheads the merrier, right?" the acrobat chuckled weakly, but his joke was met with silence.

"Robin, you should have consulted with us first before bringing anyone outside the League into this situation," Black Canary said gently, her tone tired but mercifully not angry.

"I realize that," Robin rubbed the back of his neck. "But there wasn't time to explain. I knew we would need to work fast, so I made an executive decision and went with my gut. Not the first time I've acted and then thought, rather than the other way around."

"What I can't understand is why you brought them here," Superman shook his head. "This is supposed to be a secure location. If we bring whoever we want here, pretty soon everyone will know all of the League's greatest secrets."

"Hate to break it to you, Bub, but everyone already knows this was once your headquarters – the fact that you recycled it for the kiddos isn't very shocking in my book," Wolverine broke in with a grunt.

"It was supposed to be a 'hiding in plain sight' sort of deal," Robin explained, trying his best not to look at Batman for fear of dying on the spot. He could tell that Bruce was not happy with him, but maybe if he didn't look, the Bat's anger would hold off from murdering him for a little while? It was a theory at least.

"How are these mutants to be of help to us?" Red Tornado asked, somehow knowing (even as an android) to avoid the issue of secret identities and other conversation bombs that were figuratively lying about the room, ready to ignite.

"Professor X, as has been said, is the leading expert in the field of mutation in both humans possessing the x-gene and those without," Beast said, adjusting his glasses. "I usually assist the Professor in whatever way I can at the Institute in this regard. PhDs in biochemistry are quite handy to have in these situations," he smiled.

"There are other reasons we wish to help as well," Charles added, rolling forward a bit. "Heather is a dear friend of ours and often comes to see us at my school. I would hate for anything to happen to her that I could have helped to prevent."

Superman opened his mouth to voice another concern, when Batman abruptly spoke for the first time and cut the Last Son of Krypton off, "Let them stay. We'll need their help."

Clark and Dinah both turned to give Bruce incredulous looks, though Red Tornado said and did nothing (it's an android thing).

Even Robin felt surprise flash across his face. Surely it wasn't that easy to convince the paranoid protector of Gotham that this was a good idea? Then Dick glanced at Heather as her head lolled slightly to one side, her brow wrinkling slightly in her sleep, and suddenly understood. _She must've talked with him before while she was still awake, but how did she manage to convince him to play along?_

"Thank you, we will help in any way we can, I assure you," Professor X replied sincerely.

"Yes, you will," Batman responded, his gaze suddenly landing on Robin. "Black Canary, Superman, bring the X-Men up to speed. Red Tornado, go keep an eye on the team. Robin and I need to discuss something."

_La naiba,_ Dick thought, closing his eyes behind his sunglasses. _I'm so dead._

The Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder left the room quickly with Red Tornado following, leaving the Leaguers and X-Men to the task of comparing notes. Superman and Professor X began to talk of possible causes, and Beast and Black Canary discussed the formulas for cures on the holo-computer. Wolverine made himself busy by eying Black Canary's chest (which she ignored). While that was going on, Kurt managed to silently make his way over to Heather's bed, where she still seemed to be asleep.

The mutant took his girlfriend's limp hand, pushed a lock of brown hair off of her clammy forehead and stroked her cheek gently. "Meine schöne Spinne," he murmured, kissing her pale lips. "I vish there vas somezhing I could do to help."

Heather let out a small breath, her unfocused eyes fluttering open. "Kurt?" she whispered.

"I'm right here, liebsten," he smiled softly.

She groaned in response, gripping his hand tightly while shutting her eyes for a few seconds. "They've got me on some painkillers and sedatives… they're making my brain feel like it's moving through molasses," she confessed quietly before shifting her eyes around once more, zeroing in on his face a bit faster than on the previous attempt. However her vision was still a bit blurry around the edges, making it hard to focus for very long.

"Don't vorry, zhe Professor is here now, and Hank as vell. Zhey'll help zhe League find out vhat's vrong," he assured her, running his fingers through her hair soothingly.

"I know they will," she smiled thinly.

"Rogue and zhe team vanted to tell you zhat ve'll be here until you're better, liebsten," Kurt told her.

Heather nodded delicately, knowing that moving too fast could cause the pain to flare up again. It was already beginning to throb once more in her chest cavity and in the back of her mouth. "Okay. Tell them I'm fine, alright? This is nothing. I'll be back on my feet soon," she couldn't quite muster the carefree smile she'd been going for though – it felt more like a grimace. Unfortunately Kurt noticed, just like he'd noticed how her breathing was now more labored and her skin was paler than before.

_Bitte Gott kein… She's getting vorse. _"I should go. You need to rest, Meine schöne Spinne," he gave her forehead another long kiss.

"Don't worry, Kurt. Really," she squeezed his hand. "I'll be okay."

Kurt could only nod before reluctantly releasing her hand and leaving the room. Heather watched through sad, half-lidded eyes as he parted, swallowing back a lump in her throat. _I am going to be okay… aren't I_?

_Of course you are, Heather,_ Charles voice rang through her mind.

She turned her head slightly and saw how he was still talking to Superman. _Professor, could you include everyone here into this link? It's hard for me to talk and I have questions._

_Indeed I can, just a moment,_ Professor X lifted a hand to his temple and concentrated. _There. Can everyone hear me?_

_You know, I have enough voices in my head without you helping Chuck,_ came Logan's dry response as he leaned back on a countertop, crossing his arms.

_Yes, I can hear you,_ Black Canary replied, walking over to Heather's bed. She gently took the late-teen's hand and grasped it tightly, trying to encourage her.

_Professor X, I'd like to remind you that Canary and I have lives outside of the suit,_ Superman began, appearing uncomfortable with the psychic invading his two hemispheres.

_Not to worry, Superman. Professor X will keep the link strictly to main thoughts and not delve into anyone's subconscious without permission,_ Beast assured the Man of Steel, confirming that he too was linked up.

_Sorry, Supes, but it's hard enough for me to think straight let alone string together coherent sentences right now,_ Heather thought, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. _Have you found anything new since I've been out?_

_We've ruled out an outside influence – whatever is happening to you was not caused by one of our enemies,_ Superman reflected, apparently deciding he would tolerate the mental link for the moment, if only for Heather's sake.

_It's also unlikely this was an environmental affect… unless you've been fighting Poison Ivy a lot lately?_ Black Canary added, raising her eyebrow questioningly.

_No,_ Heather shook her head slightly. _It's been quiet the last two weeks – there was a bank robbery a month ago, but Two-Face stuck to guns rather than chemical or biological weapons. That's more Joker's field of expertise and he's been in his cell for the last two months ago… which has got to be a record._

_Those options out, it's definitely something inside you. A veritable time bomb that has been waiting to go off at the right opportunity,_ Beast put in, still playing with the formula projections on the holo-computer.

_And I think I might have an inkling of what it could be,_ Professor X folded his fingers and rested his chin on them. _Years ago, your father came to me for help. His powers were failing and he was in a great amount of pain. Several times he almost was killed in battle while also fighting against the war inside him._

Logan grunted. _Whiny, softheaded spider…_

Charles acted like he hadn't heard the stray thought. _He came to me hoping I would have a solution for what was happening to him. Sadly, at the time, I could offer him no answers._

Heather frowned. _Dad never told me any of this. What happened? Did the symptoms stop on their own? Did someone find a cure?_

_As far as we know, Spiderman's problem was two-fold: he was losing faith in himself, and his DNA was mutating again, leaving his systems unstable, _Beast took off his glasses to clean them for a moment. _It was not a good situation all-around. At the time though, our knowledge extended to only humans possessing the x-gene. We had little to no experience working with mutates, like Peter._

_Eventually, some scientist who owed Spidey a favor came up with a formula that she thought could cure him,_ Logan interjected grimly. _It only made things worse._

Heather grimaced as another wave of white-hot pain swept through her form. _How much worse could it get than this? I feel like I've got knives lodged in me while being in a burning building._

_The formula had an undesired side affect. Rather than repair his DNA and restore the balance between his human and spider sides, it eliminated most of his human DNA, leaving the spider half in control. The result was dubbed by the media as the Man-Spider,_ Professor X reported solemnly.

_And I thought Peter was an ugly SOB before,_ Logan thought with a smirk.

_Now is not the time, Wolverine,_ Beast reminded him firmly.

_Just trying to lighten the mood…_

Ignoring Logan's bad joke, Heather struggled to piece the story together in her mind. Once, when she was still young and naive (and oh yeah, a normal powerless human), she had been one of Spiderman's biggest fans. She'd chronicled the majority of his career from beginning to the present through old newspaper clips and photos. She couldn't remember any such story, or was that because the pain meds were wearing off again?

_Okay, so how did he fix it?_ She decided filling in the gaps of her father's past could wait for now. There were bigger fish to fry at the moment.

_The same scientist who created the first cure realized her mistake and created another one. This one was able to both fix Spiderman's secondary mutation, and eliminate the original symptoms while still allowing him to have his powers, _Beast thought.

_Well then, let's find the scientist who created the cure and have her help Heather, _Black Canary suggested quickly.

_Alas, there was only one made, and finding that scientist again could prove very difficult – she and her, ahem, mate, are somewhere in Africa last I heard, and that was some years ago,_ Professor X's forehead crinkled with worry.

It was silent for a moment as everyone let that sink in.

_Professor… you don't think that – that there's no chance at all, do you?_ Heather asked softly, even in her mind, as her dread built up.

_No. We're not giving up that easily. Just know that this will take more time than we might have originally anticipated. Especially without the formula for the cure that was created all those years ago,_ Charles shook his head, his determination clear.

Heather nodded slowly. _Right. Of course…_ she shifted on the bed and glanced around the room for a moment, taking in the faces around her. She frowned. _Where's Robin? And Batman?_

_They're still talking in Robin's room… er, I think,_ Superman thought, rubbing his neck. Evidently, he'd been keeping track of the conversation for a while now without telling anyone else.

_If you could call it talking,_ Logan chuckled, cocking his head to the side. _Sounds more like World War Three in there._

Superman gave him a sour look. _I was trying _not_ to listen, which is pretty hard for me, you're just doing it for fun,_ he accused.

Wolverine shrugged, not denying it.

Heather ignored them, her gaze looking somewhere past Dinah's halo of golden hair above her. She was losing focus again as the pain medication was burned through by her accelerated metabolism and immune systems. She'd need another dosage soon to prevent another seizure, but she needed to discuss something before her brain got bogged down by the drugs again. _Please, I want to see them… alone. Can someone get them and bring them here? And has anyone gotten a hold of my family?_

_I'll go and get Robin and Batman, _Superman responded, flying out the double doors quickly.

_I believe Kid Flash mentioned something about contacting your father, but he couldn't reach Peter directly and left a message with Harry,_ Charles thought. _I don't know about your mother._

Heather rolled her eyes and sighed. _Typical Dad. When I actually need him, he's not around to bug the hell out of me._

_Your father means well, Heather, you know that,_ Black Canary reminded her, stroking Black Bat's dark locks away from the girl's clammy face.

_Meaning well and actually doing well are two different things, Canary,_ was the female spider's dry response.

Black Canary sighed and shook her head. _Why don't I go try to find him using the computer? Beast, would you mind giving me a hand?_

_Certainly,_ the large blue mutant replied, following the blonde out of the room.

Just after they left, Superman came back in with the Dynamic Duo in tow, neither of whom looked very happy.

"Hey HM, how are you feeling?" Robin asked, trying to muster a smile.

"Okay," Heather's voice was hoarse even to her own ears. She couldn't imagine what she sounded like to everyone else. Ignoring that thought, she shot a pointed look at the others.

Taking the hint, Superman turned to Charles and Logan, "How about a tour? It looks like you might be here for awhile. You should know your way around."

"That would be nice, thank you," Professor X said.

Wolverine, who could naturally find his way around anywhere blindfolded, merely snorted and shrugged his wide shoulders. "Sure, why not?"

Once they were gone and only members of the batclan were left, Batman pulled up the last scan that had been taken of Heather's vitals. "Now, how are you really doing?"

Heather shifted slightly and grimaced, holding her side with one hand. "Honestly?"

Batman nodded, giving her a shrewd look. "Now's not the time to act tough. How bad is it?"

"Remember that time Doc Ock tried to dissect me, quote 'like the bug I am'?"

"Yeah…?" Robin frowned, his forehead and nose wrinkling at the memory. _That was totally not gusting._

Black Bat nodded, pointing at her ribcage with the hand that wasn't gripping her side. "This is about ten times worse."

"La naiba, Heather!" Robin sat heavily in a nearby chair, gripping his dark hair. "You should have told us!"

"Watch your mouth, gypsy boy, or I'll tell Alfred to wash it out with soap!" Heather threatened, half sitting up. Immediately, she grabbed her torso with both hands and groaned, breaking out in a cold sweat. "God, I think I'm going to puke," she mumbled, skin now ashen.

Alarmed, Dick jumped up and grabbed a bucket from a supply cabinet, while Bruce helped Heather lean forward, encouraging her to breathe deeply. Dick managed to get the bucket in front of his friend just in time.

Heather felt like time slowed to a painful crawl as she retched. When she finally finished emptying her stomach, she leaned heavily against Bruce, panting slightly.

Bruce pulled his protégé's hair back and held it at the nape of her neck, while Dick took the bucket to the med bay's bathroom.

"Sorry," Heather muttered to him when he returned.

Dick shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

Bruce rubbed her back for a few moments as she caught her breath. Eventually, she moved slightly and looked at her partners with teary, haunted eyes. "Guys… what's wrong with me?" she whispered as the gravity of her situation hit her full force.

The surrogate father and son shared a long look.

"I wish we knew," Dick murmured, placing a hand on her knee.

She closed her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek. "Me too."


	26. This Sucks - Part Four

_Ugh -_-' …you guys no I hate doing things halfway, right? I mean, I try and put a lot of time and thought and effort into every chapter of every story I write. But sometimes… sometimes writers block just likes to screw with me._

_Needless to say, the writing powers from above have deemed it time to dry up ideas. Or at least for this particular plot thread, as I did get the inspiration to write – and finished – another one-shot. However, I felt I'd be exploiting you guys and your patience (cough, reviews, cough) if I had posted that this weekend rather than the next installment of This Sucks._

_So, because I do love you guys and I felt like I owed you something, I'm giving you this. True, it's about half the length I wanted this segment to be – not even sure it accomplishes anything – but it's all I've got. Ain't much, I know. I just hope some of you like it enough to give me feedback so I can get another segment out next weekend that will be better. *sigh* Hopefully._

**What a Web We Weave**

**This Sucks – Part Four**

"Progress report," Batman ordered, stepping into the main room where Black Canary and Beast were still working with the computer.

"The good news is, the system is up and fully functional once more," Black Canary began, still typing. "Bad news is that Spiderman and Arachnid have been delayed in New York. Sandman, Vulture and Rhino are on a crime spree."

"What about Heather's mother and sister?" Batman asked after watching a brief news clip showing Spiderman and his son tag teaming against the three villains.

"Fortunately, Mary Jane and Audrey were both home. They're on their way to the nearest zeta location now," Beast reported.

"There's no need for them to come at this point," Batman refuted, shaking his head. "Heather's illness is still for the most part a mystery. She's somewhat stable currently, but it will be quite some time before we can send her home. All they'll be able to do is sit and wait with the rest of us."

"You don't think I tried to tell her that?" Beast looked both amused and slightly exasperated. "Heather may have gotten her powers from her father – however, her one-track mind is distinctly from MJ. There is no arguing with that woman when she decides something."

Batman sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "True."

"What I can't understand," Canary turned away from the computer and crossed her arms. "Is why – whatever this is – has chosen now to occur? What triggered it? Why didn't it go off earlier?"

"It must have something to do with when a similar phenomenon affected Peter. Sharing the same spider genes, this mutation is most likely taking place at roughly the same time as it did for him," Beast hypothesized.

"It would fit," Batman admitted. "She had her powers manifest around the same age as Peter's did."

"I just wish he was here. He experienced this first-hand, making his input invaluable at the moment," Black Canary rubbed the back of her neck wearily. "Surely he could ask the Fantastic Four or someone else to handle Sandman, Vulture and the Rhino today? His daughter's life is at stake."

"Spiderman has a strong sense of duty towards his city. Leaving in its time of need – even if he were putting it in good hands – would be like admitting defeat in his mind. To him, it would be selfish," Beast said quietly.

Canary was about to retort when Batman beat her to it.

"There have been times when Gotham was on the verge of collapse, and I worked day and night to save it. I didn't sleep, I hardly ate. Everything else became unimportant… However," he added, tone steely, "If anything had happened to Robin during one of those crises, I would have dropped everything, let the city burn to the ground if need be, until I was sure he was safe."

Neither Beast nor Black Canary was sure how to respond to such a frank statement. It was rare for the Dark Knight to openly acknowledge how much he cared for Robin. They were fortunately saved from having to answer when the zeta tube lit up.

_Recognized. Mary Jane Parker. A20. Audrey Gwen Parker. B18._

Mother and daughter walked into Mount Justice together, hands clasped tight. Both looked extremely worn out with Audrey's cheeks visibly wet with old tears. As soon as the little girl spotted Batman, she broke free of her mother's hold and ran to him, wrapping her small arms around his legs.

"Where's Heather?" She asked looking up at him and sniffling slightly. "Is she okay?"

Batman bent down and gathered the six year old into his arms as MJ walked up to the trio of superheroes. He pulled his cape up and wrapped it around her, like he used to do for Dick when he was small. Audrey snuggled closer into his hold, comforted by the strength she felt in his muscled arms.

"She's here. She's very sick right now, but we're trying to make her better," the Dark Knight murmured to the child, making sure his lips moved clearly.

Audrey nodded slowly, her gaze intent on his mouth. "When will that be?"

"We're not sure," Batman admitted. "But it should be soon."

Black Canary and Beast exchanged subtle looks. It was one thing for Batman to act gentle around others, it was quite another for a child to openly approach him for comfort.

_Audrey must have visited with Heather a few times to the batcave,_ Dinah pondered silently. _That's probably why Batman doesn't scare her. She knows he only puts on the cowl to scare the bad guys, not the good ones. Well, usually anyway. I think he still scares Barry and Oliver._ She held in a smirk.

"How soon is soon?" MJ asked her arms folded tightly, brow pinched.

"That is a matter of opinion," Beast replied gravely, placing a gentle, if large, hand on her shoulder. "The Professor is confident he can come up with an antidote, but it will take time, particularly as we are in the dark about the specifics of this… sickness," he carefully avoided words like 'disease' and 'condition'. They sounded far too final.

"Do you have any idea what could be wrong?" MJ questioned, glancing at Audrey whispering something to the Dark Knight, who nodded in response.

"We know that it has to do with her DNA structure. We think it's, well, changing. Mutating," Black Canary explained quietly.

"Mutating?" MJ exclaimed. "Why? And what exactly is it mutating into?"

"That we don't know," Beast admitted, shaking his head. "But rest assured that Professor X, myself, and the Justice League will not rest until we find the answers."

"Is there anything I can do?" MJ pleaded, eyes shining.

"Not much, no," Black Canary said gently, "the process would go a lot faster if Spiderman were here. We think the illness is connected to an experience he had several years ago. His knowledge could help us a great deal."

"Why isn't he here now, then?" MJ demanded, irritation leaking into her voice.

"There's a situation back in New York," Batman explained, stepping closer to the group, Audrey still tucked in his cape. The little girl yawned and rubbed her eyes as he continued, "Vulture, Sandman and Rhino are at large. Spiderman and Arachnid are working to contain the problem."

MJ's bright blue orbs narrowed. "Do you have a way of contacting him?" she asked, each word annunciated carefully.

"We do," Batman confirmed. "Black Canary?"

Canary nodded and led the other woman over to the computer, bringing up a holo-keypad and monitor. She typed in a few commands and after a moment, Arachnid's green mask appeared on screen, the camera shot shaky as sounds of a battle came from the background.

"Guys, now is not a very good time. We're working as fast as we – Mom?" Harry's surprise was clear even through the full-face mask.

"Harry, put your father on the phone," MJ ordered coolly.

"Uh, Dad's sort of busy right now," Arachnid rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Can I take a –?"

"_Now_, young man," MJ snapped.

Harry paused for only a second. "Right. Hang on."

The next several seconds of footage consisted of static cut in with splices of disjointed shots of the fight. One second static, the next a shot of Rhino charging up the street, then static, followed by Vulture sneering as he dived from the sky, more static, Sandman forming two large fists, and on it went for a bit. Finally, the static faded out and Spiderman's masked face filled up the screen.

"Sweetheart, can't this wait? Arachnid and I are in the middle of cleaning up the streets of trash," Spiderman said, sounding worn and tense, even with the slight crackle in the audio feed.

"Call up the Fantastic Four or some of the Avengers," MJ told him sternly. "Inform them of the situation, leave it in their hands, and get your ass to the nearest zeta location. You have to get to the cave now."

Spiderman sighed and gripped his head for a second. "Honey, I can't just drop everything. New York needs me right now. I'm sure Heather will be fine."

"No, you don't understand," MJ shook her head, glaring fiercely at the screen like she was trying to burn a hole in her husband's forehead. "Your daughter is seriously sick. She could be _dying_! They need your help to fix her."

Batman felt Audrey cringe and snuggle closer to him. He honestly couldn't blame her.

There was a pause. "I'm sure the situation isn't _that_ dire," Spiderman shook his head slowly, but his tone was hesitant.

"It is," MJ asserted, her fists tightening along with her crossed arms.

There was another beat of silence. In the background, the fight went on, those participating oblivious to anything outside their own bubble. In the cave, it was quiet too. Beast and Black Canary had thought it best to leave the family to their business, and had gone separate ways. Hank went to find Professor Xavier to check on progress. Dinah decided to look in on the team, see how they were all holding and if they needed anything. Both realized that the complex relationships between Spiderman, his family, his eldest daughter and vice versa, were not their concern, nor was the knowledge for their ears.

Eventually, Spiderman let out a sigh, and he sounded like a man twice his age when he replied, "I'll give Captain America and Iron Man a call. Arachnid and I will be there as soon as we can. Spiderman out." He cut the transmission.

MJ took in a deep cleansing breath. "I know what you're thinking," she said, turning towards Batman and her youngest child. "Why do I stay with him? He's forgetful, his priorities aren't always in the right place, he shunned my daughter for trying to follow his footsteps, yet now he's training Harry. How do I stand it? Why do I bother?"

Batman remained silent.

He felt Audrey shift in his arms, snuggling deeper into the dark folds of his cape. He had an idea what the girl was trying to do. She knew her family was cracked – she'd witnessed it happen three years ago. The details were a bit murky, but she did remember. She knew her parents fought, and that it usually involved her sister. But Audrey didn't let on that she knew, carefully hiding how much she understood. She let her family think she was still innocent and oblivious. It was easier, sometimes, to fake it and hide from problems in a cloak, than to admit you knew and couldn't do anything about it.

"He wasn't always like this," MJ murmured, shaking her head.

"What changed?" Batman questioned.

She a hand through her hair. "Even I don't know all the details. When we got married, I became pregnant right away. Peter was excited, but also worried. He wasn't sure he could protect us both. So he gave up the mask."

She paused and frowned. "Spiderman was still there though. I don't know how he did it, but Peter managed to actually be in two places at once. For almost six years this went on. We were such a happy family, and then I got pregnant with Harry and to begin with it seemed like an even bigger blessing."

"Something happened though. Suddenly, Peter was back on the streets all hours of the night… and he changed. He was moodier, quieter, and hardly around, working almost constantly. So I've done the only thing I can – stay. I keep my family together, give them double my attention and love, guiding them to the best of my ability.

"What else can I do?" she added, looking more tired than ever.

Batman suddenly put a gloved hand on her shoulder. "I may not know much about being a parent – Dick has practically raised himself, and even then, most of the credit goes to Alfred – but I think under the circumstances, you've done a fine job."

Mary Jane smiled tentatively. She looked down at Audrey with gentle eyes filled with love. The six year old grinned and signed, 'I love you, Mom.' Her red haired mother leaned down and kissed the girl's crown of chocolate curls.

'Can we see Heather now?' Audrey signed, looking up at Batman's dark cowl.

"Of course," he replied, nodding.


	27. Where Did We Go Wrong?

_AN: 0_0 You have no idea what I have been through to get this out. Simply put, this is probably the longest addition to the FSA to date, and it's not even fully put together yet! Okay, so, what's important? What should you know going in? Well, the short answer is this section of the story arc is a flashback to before Jason died and what led up to it._

_Each time notation after the one right below the title indicates how far along in the timeline the event is from this first timestamp. So, we start out with two years ago from 2016, making it 2014, and from there we're gradually progressing forwards in time._

_Clear enough? I sure as hell hope so because I don't have the energy to elaborate any further. On a side note, we won't be getting back to where we left off in 2016 in this chapter, or probably the next one either. Just want to state that at the outset. And before anyone complains, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm working on the next part of This Sucks, but its taking time, okay? Have a little patience, will ya? Alright, let's get started because lord knows this is going to take a while._

_Buckle in for the ride boys and girls – this is the Future Story Arc: Part… whatever! (Picking up from the events of chapter twenty-one)_

**27) FSA – Where Did We Go Wrong?**

**The Batcave, two years previously…**

"Are you sure you're doing alright? You seem more down than the last time we talked," Heather remarked, sitting at the batcomputer. She had two screens open, one for the files Batman told her to update and the other was a video call to an old friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine, HM, really," Dick smirked and waved her off. "Just schoolwork, that's all. I think my professors are evil gremlins in disguise."

That made Heather snicker. "That I understand – you should've met my economics teacher. Good 3OH3, the guy was more boring than fighting Killer Moth."

Dick cackled in response. "So how's it going on your front? How's Gotham?"

Heather gave him a long look. "Don't you mean, how's _Bruce_?"

Dick's smile instantly vanished. "No. I don't," he replied coldly.

Heather's eyes swiveled up to the bats on the ceiling, as if asking them for a very large aspirin to kill a headache she was getting… or for a very large hammer to bonk some sense into the people around her. Either would work. "Dick, seriously, this has got to stop. I told you that I would support your dicision to go solo and live your own life, and I have. But for the love of Foxy Shazam, it's been _months_ now."

"I'm not coming back, Heather, end of story." Dick retorted.

"Not asking you to. What I'm asking, is that you and Bruce grow up, swallow your gigantic prides, and admit you were both a little wrong," She shot back, her expression unmistakably fed up.

"With a stare like that, you could give Mr. Freeze the chills," he replied, a hint of a smile lurking at the corner of his mouth.

Heather didn't smile back. "I'm serious. I know I wasn't a great example in this area, but my Cher, I'm pretty sure it wasn't this bad. I never tried to drag other people into my problems, and eventually I've gotten to where I'm not so damn bitter about it."

"When was the last time you talked to Peter then?" He challenged.

She responded easily. "Two weeks ago. Audrey had a gymnastics competition and we all went out to eat afterwards. Dad and I had a nice, civil conversation with each other and no one yelled the whole time."

"Well whoop-de-freaking-do. The gang of Full House all made up and hugged it out in the end," Dick said cruelly. "Surprise, surprise."

"Bite me, Richard!" Heather snapped, slamming her fists on the computer desk. "I get it, okay? You're pissed. You're angry. You can't even look at him, let alone speak. Don't think that because this is happening now, you are the only kid in the world to have a fight with their dad. _You're not special_."

"He's _not_ my dad!" Dick yelled.

"But he _is_ the closest thing you've got," she replied edgily. "You lived with him for eight years. He practically raised you, Dick. You can't tell me that doesn't mean anything to you still."

"So what if it did? It doesn't matter now. He hates me and I can't stand to be around him. I want – no – I need to figure out who I am without having to live under his control and manipulation. I have to find who I really am," by this point, Dick sounded more tired than angry.

Heather's tone softened as well. "Dick, you know who you are. You always have. Hell, I think you figured it out long before the rest of the Team even had a clue. You're Dick Grayson, you're my best friend… you're Robin."

Dick shook his head. "No, that's where you're wrong. I'm not Robin anymore."

"The costume isn't where the name comes from," she reminded him.

"I know that. My mother gave me that name and Batman allowed me to use it to bring light into his world…" he sighed. "It will always hold a special place in my heart. But it's not me. Not anymore and never again."

It was silent for a long moment.

"…Are you saying you'll never come back?" Heather asked softly, tone hesitant. Her brow drew together tightly over her eyes.

Dick sighed. "Maybe 'never' is too harsh of a word. But Heather, I'm tired of fighting for control of my life. As long as I'm Robin, I'll never be able to do what I was always meant to do."

"Which is?"

"Fly," he said simply.

That brought a gentle smile to her face. "And what good is a Grayson if he can't fly?" she asked jokingly.

"Exactly," Dick smirked, but it was definitely bittersweet.

Before Heather could comment, an alert beeped from the computer and a grid of the city popped up showing the batmoblie's location. "That's weird," she said, typing a few commands in to bring the map up and zoom in.

"What?"

"Batman's coming in for the night and it's only," she glanced at the clock. "Two am. He's two hours early, I wonder what's come up."

"Maybe he was chasing someone and the trail went cold," Dick suggested with a shrug.

Heather shook her head, "No, he drives more aggressively than he is now when that happens. I hope he's not injured."

"Speaking of which, why are you not out with him tonight again?"

"He wanted me to update files, run some tests – you know the usual boring lab work. Said he didn't need me tonight," Heather replied, still monitoring Batman's position as he drew closer to an entrance to the cave.

"Clearly he was wrong. What a shocker," Dick rolled his eyes.

Heather sent him a reproving look, but couldn't quite hide her smirk. "You better get off the line. If he's pissed, seeing you might set him off more." She paused, "You know, it wouldn't kill you to call him every once and a while. Just to let him know you're, oh I don't know, alive?"

Dick gave her a long look she couldn't quite read, but she finally decided it was somewhere in the neighborhood of irritated. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

She sent him a two finger salute, "See ya." They signed off.

A few minutes later, the batmobile came screeching into the cave in Batman's usual breakneck manner. Heather had to wonder if one day he didn't just drive off the side of the ramp and fell to the cavern floor below. That, she figured, would probably be the stupidest way for any hero to die – let alone Batman – so she continued to pray silently every time that it never came to pass. Fortunately, some higher power was still listening to her up there and he came to a halt in his usual parking place.

Heather got up from her seat and ran over, her earlier concerns over Batman having sustained injury coming back to mind. But then the top of the batmobile opened and showed that Bruce was, just fine, in fact. Although oddly he looked… happy?

Relieved, Heather smirked and called out, "Why the early night, Bats? Get a crick in your joints old man?"

"Not quite," Batman replied dryly.

He still looked slightly giddy though, which was beginning to arouse Heather's suspicions. _Maybe he got hit with Joker gas tonight…_ "Meet up with anyone interesting on patrol? Catwoman perhaps?"

"Selina seems to be lying low right now. I haven't seen her in a number of weeks since she tried to steal those Egyptian cat statues from the museum," was his analytical answer.

_Is he being freaking coy with me? Batman? Coy? Somehow I don't think those two words should go together._ "Uh, okay… so why are you back here so early?"

Batman reached into the back of the vehicle and grabbed something before throwing it at her feet. "Because of this."

Heather looked down blankly for several seconds, her brain unable to compute what it was witnessing. Laying at her feet, kicking and squirming, was a young teenage boy bound and gagged and appearing utterly pissed. When she finally found her voice, she slowly looked back up at her mentor, and did the logical thing. She asked a question.

"What the hell is this?! Look, I know the tabloids used to say you and Robin had something going on the side, and you may be lonely now that he's gone, but holy crap, I really thought you were above child porn S&M's!" By this point, Heather was dimly aware that she was screaming. She, however, did not particularly care. The world as she knew it had been snatched from the grasp of her logic, thrown in a blender and set to maximum speed.

It was official, the apocalypse was upon them.

Batman only shook his head. "You need to stop reading those trashy romance novels – they're rotting your brain."

"First, I do not, nor will I ever, read anything of the sort. Second, I'm beginning to think _you_ are the one with the rotten brain. You kidnapped a civilian – a flipping kid, no less – brought him here to the supposedly secret batcave and I'm not even in costume! Do you realize how insane this all is? Are you even aware of how close to _breaking_ your brilliant mind is? Or how close mine is, for that matter," Heather angrily paced back and forth for several moments, fists clenching at her sides tensely.

Calmly, her boss ignored her and picked up the still struggling kid, dragging him across the cave floor before practically throwing him into a chair. He then used some extra rope to secure him there so the kid wouldn't roll away. The boy glared at him, but Batman hardly paid him any mind.

"Are you done?" Batman asked eventually, as Heather had been muttering and cursing under her breath for some time now.

Heather stopped pacing and took several deep breaths. "Yeah. For now. But I still want an answer, Bats."

"And I'll give you one right now, if you'll quit wearing a hole into the floor," He replied.

She rolled her eyes. "Only you could throw this back in my face, as if I'm the crazy one. Alright, talk."

"It was quiet tonight," Batman began, leaning against the computer. "So I decided to come in early. I'd left the batmobile in Crime Alley and when I came back to it, I found him," he pointed to the boy, who had the decency to shift a bit uncomfortably.

"Found him doing what?" One of Heather's eyebrows rose as she crossed her arms.

"Stealing the wheels of the batmobile."

Heather blinked then burst out laughing. "Oh my god, are you serious? He was trying to jack the freaking wheels?" She let out another loud giggle and glanced at the boy, "Kid, you're either really brave or really stupid."

"Actually, I think it's the former," Batman commented, "When he saw me coming, he didn't look scared or guilty. He looked more annoyed that he'd gotten caught. He ran, I followed him, and eventually I had him cornered in a blind alley, but not before I saw the way he moved."

"Care to elaborate?" she asked, still smirking.

"He's not a natural acrobat in any sense of the word, but he's fast, strong and fierce. When I caught up with him, he didn't apologize or cower like other children might. He was defiant, actually tried to fight me."

"How did that go?"

"Not very well for him, obviously," Batman gestured at the ropes binding the boy.

Heather nodded slowly, conceding the point. "Okay, so he impressed you. Great. Fantastic. Still doesn't explain why you brought him here. Why didn't you turn him over to the police, or better yet his parents?"

"I don't think he has any, and the police would only send him to Juvenile Hall."

Black Bat's head tilted to the side as she stared at her boss' face, reading the lines and the tension of his muscles. It was silent for a moment as she assessed him – she didn't ask any more questions and he didn't give answers. She knew that she would have to figure it all out from here.

Finally, a fresh smirk appeared. "You're going to take him in and train him." Not a question, a statement.

Batman nodded.

"Did you ask him if that's what he wanted before you treated him like a Thanksgiving turkey and dragged him here kicking and screaming? Do you even know his name?" Black Bat gestured towards the captive carelessly, and her tone was both mildly amused as well as frustrated.

"Not yet. I wanted to make him see all the possibilities first hand," Batman replied easily.

Heather shook her head. "You're hopeless. I give up. Getting you to act like a normal human is impossible."

"Considering you yourself are not fully human, I should most likely be offended."

"Are you?"

"No." Batman turned and sat at the computer, beginning to type. "Untie him, would you Black Bat? I'm sure he's probably a bit cramped from the ride over."

Heather's eyes drifted once more to the cavern ceiling. "Why me? What did I do in a past life to be surrounded by such strange men?"

Shrugging, she strolled over to the boy and whipped a sharp batarang from a compartment in her sleeve. Immediately, he began struggling more intensely, apparently thinking she was going to cut him. She sighed. "Quit wiggling, would you? I might accidently slice your arm off with this."

Taking the hint, he stayed still as she sliced through the bonds around his ankles, wrists and chest, as well as the rope tying him to the chair. As he rubbed the circulation back into his hands, she pulled off his gag. Shooting him a smile, she said, "You want some water?"

He nodded.

She got a glass from the sink in the medical area and brought it over. The boy drank eagerly until the tumbler was empty, then sat back and glanced around the cave for the first time, truly taking it in.

Heather's smile widened. "Yeah, it's real kid. You're not dreaming."

The boy turned to her and gave a slightly defensive glare. "I know that," he retorted.

She raised her hands in surrender. "Just stating the obvious. I'm good at that. What's your name?"

The boy's green eyes narrowed. "What's it to you?"

"Well, see, it's a common custom in most parts of the world to ask for someone's name when you're first introduced. Would you prefer me just calling you Kid, or Sport, or Champ?" One sardonic eyebrow rose as her hands slid to her hips. "If you really want to push it, Bats over there might start calling you Old Chum."

He scowled, but she noticed that his eyes had a tendency to wander down her physique. She filed the observation away for later. "My name's Jason Todd."

"Good to meet you, Jason. I'm Heather, but while were down here," she gestured to the batcave in general, "you can call me Black Bat."

"Who are you supposed to be?" Jason frowned. "I mean, he's Batman, obviously – but you're not Batgirl. I've never heard of Black Bat."

"She works in the shadows," Jason jumped as Batman spoke suddenly without turning from the computer. "She's more covert than Batgirl or I. She does research, runs tests, files reports, calls in tips, analyzes crime data, and so forth. Even I need help from someone on the sidelines. The whole idea behind Black Bat is she's _not_ well known. It gives me an element of surprise."

Heather smiled modestly and shrugged. "Yep. That's me in a nutshell. I guess you could call me a temp – I won't be sticking around long enough to establish me to Gotham's citizens. Better if I just lay low and get the training I need here, than be haunted by Gotham's baddies for the rest of my life by being well known."

Jason's frown deepened. "So… are you the reason Robin is gone?"

Both vigilantes froze for a long moment, and even the bats above them seemed to go silent.

"Uh… what do you mean?" Heather managed to speak first.

"Well, he's been gone for a while – no one's seen him, not even with the Justice League, or those other teen superheroes. So, did you replace him or something?"

Heather glanced at Batman's profile carefully, choosing her words cautiously. "No, I didn't replace Robin. He and I are actually very good friends, and have been for years. The reason he's not around anymore, is because he wanted to try working solo."

"Why would he want to do that? Who could ever give up being Robin? It's the most awesome job in the world!" Jason grinned animatedly, oblivious to the drop in temperature due to his innocent questions.

Heather bit her lip, thinking about her conversation with the former Boy Wonder earlier. "Things change. People change. Everyone has to grow up some day, even if they may not be sure they're ready for it yet. Robin still cares about the name and what it represents, but it's not who he is anymore. He's ready to try and be someone else."

Jason nodded slowly, though it was apparent he was still a bit confused.

Batman didn't say anything, but it took another few seconds before he began typing on the computer again.

"Alright, so, why am I here exactly?" Jason eventually asked.

Black Bat eyed her boss as he obliviously continued working on the computer. "Near as I can tell, Batman wants to take you in as a new apprentice and train you in everything he knows. Why? That's a mystery to even me. Pretty sure the batcave is getting crowded as it is, even with Robin having moved out." She glanced at the costume cases, one of which held her uniform and Batgirl's. "Then again," she shrugged. "Maybe Batman wants more testosterone around here."

"Very funny Black Bat," Batman replied dryly.

"Why thank you, I'll be here all week," Heather smirked and shook her head.

"As a matter of fact, you will. You'll be helping me train Jason."

That made her pause. "Say what now?"

"Of course he'll be getting most of his information and field work from me, but you have valuable pointers to give out as well. You are, after all, the only one here with abilities beyond that of a normal human. You'll be the perfect opponent so he'll know how to fight against metas or mutates," Batman explained, turning in his seat to face them.

"Let me get this straight," Heather pinched the bridge of her brow. "You want me to be a guinea pig for your little new protégé? Well then I have two words for you, Bats: I quit." Shaking her head in disgust, she stalked to the batelevator leading up to the manor.

"Black Bat…" Batman began.

"No," she shot him a glower. "You may be able to manipulate the League, the Team and Babs into doing what you want, and you used to be able to do it to Dick too, but not me. I came here under specific terms that we outlined to begin with. I train with you until you think I'm ready or I feel it's time to leave. And at no point are you allowed to order me around like a personal soldier, nor are you allowed to treat me like Peter did. When you start dragging random kids here off the street and pulling them into this crazy life we live, that violates several of our agreements. I won't stand for it, Batman."

"Don't I get a say in any of this?" Jason suddenly challenged, standing up and glaring at both of them.

"Absolutely," Batman said instantly. "This was always your choice – I only wanted to assure you that I was serious."

Heather rolled her eyes. _Yeah, right, like that's true,_ she thought. "Of course it's your choice, Jason. No one is going to push you into anything," she stared hard at the Dark Knight as she said this, but he didn't respond, keeping his gaze on the boy.

Jason glanced between the two, clearly weighing his options. "If I stay, do I get the option to leave at some point if things aren't working out?"

"As long as you agree to keep our secrets just that – secrets – then yes," Batman said, sitting back and interlocking his fingers.

Heather shrugged and nodded, at least in favor of _that_ condition. She had a secret identity to maintain, a job to keep, a boyfriend, not to mention her family to think about. Privacy was a must in this business.

Jason slipped his hands into his pockets. "Alright, that's fair. Where am I going to sleep and live, if I agree? Not down here," he glanced with distaste at the dark stalactites above them.

"No, you'd be living in the house above us, along with me, Agent A and occasionally Black Bat or Batgirl, if they need to sleep here after a long night," Batman explained.

Jason raised an eyebrow. "There's an Agent A, too?"

Heather's mouth quirked at the corner, "Yep, and you'll find that his word is law. Not even Batman can argue with him, so don't bother trying."

Jason seemed impressed and intrigued there was someone even the Dark Knight listened to. Sounded like a pretty imposing guy. "Okay, cool… One more thing, if I were to stay," he paused, mouth puckering as he chose the words on his tongue carefully. "What would I be called?"

Batman and Black Bat exchanged looks. Dick's words rang in her ears:_ It will always hold a special place in my heart. But it's not me. Not anymore and never again__._ She knew what had to be done.

"You can always change your mind later," Heather found herself saying, "but for now, you'll be 'Robin'." _After all,_ she thought as she took in Jason's grin, _Batman will always need a Robin to light his world._

_**Six Months Later…**_

"Keep your guard up!" Black Bat barked, throwing two swift upper cuts and a left hook.

"I am!" Robin snapped back irritably, dodging the first two punches and back flipping away from the third.

Black Bat surged forward while Robin's hands were still on the ground mid-flip, ducking low and sweeping a leg beneath him, knocking the teen to the mat. In no time flat, she was straddling him with a fist poised at his throat.

She smirked as he scowled. "Are you now?"

"Shut up and get off me," he growled, cheeks flushed more with embarrassment than exertion.

"Magic words?" She lifted an eyebrow, unintentionally looking quite seductive.

God help him, he couldn't stop the tightening he felt in his gut every time she did that. He swallowed, pushing his raging hormones back. "_Please_. Get. Off. Me – I _give_," he gritted out, covering up his unease rather well with a sneer.

In contrast, Heather beamed brightly. "Good boy. Now if we could just get you to fetch the paper…" she giggled and stood up, offering him a hand, which of course he refused – if only to keep her from feeling the sweat building on his palms.

"It's not funny, Heath," he grunted, stalking over to a table with two water bottles and a couple of towels on it. He mopped his face with one of the cloths while downing half of a bottle.

"Oh relax, Jase. You need to get a sense of humor pretty soon, or you might turn into Batman," she teased lightly, using the other towel to wipe her forehead and pat the back of her neck beneath the short shock of her auburn hair.

Jason had a very hard time ignoring how this movement showed off Heather's already obvious cleavage. It was bad enough when they were in their uniforms, but when they were training like this in sweats and other workout clothes, he hardly stood a chance. Heather had a fondness for yoga pants that were very tight in the ass (most of the time, he could even see the line of her panties), as well as leotards that left little to his already active imagination.

He knew he was wrong for entertaining these feelings, and the reasons were many. Heather was five years his senior. She was his teacher. She was in a serious relationship with another guy – one who was _her age_, it might be noted, even if the freak was blue. By all accounts, she viewed him (insert shudder) like a little brother. A good friend. And why shouldn't she? He was younger than even her blood-related brother, though still older than her sister.

Why should she see him as anything more than a cute kid?

Still, he couldn't help wondering if she'd change her mind about him, if she knew how he felt. If he told her the truth, would it change anything? Or at least, would she feel different, if she still didn't whoop his ass every time they sparred?

"Ready for the next round?" Heather grinned, a competitive gleam in her eyes, along with a spark of excitement he was well familiar with. Up until now, she'd just been warming up. Now she was really ready to show him how much he still had to learn, how bad he still sucked, and how he'd never be good enough for her… no matter how much he tried.

He would've given anything to be able to make her proud of him, to make her notice.

Jason half-smiled. "Let's go."

_**Three Months…**_

_Jason's doing amazing – much better than I ever thought he could,_ Heather thought, watching out of the corner of her eye as he moved through the simulator one afternoon. _He still has a lot of anger issues, but I think he's finally beginning to move past them. I just wish he had more confidence in himself. I'm afraid though that it's the one thing neither Bruce nor I can teach him. He has to learn it himself._

With a final flying kick and grunt, Jason disabled the last opponent of the simulation and the computer powered down. Breathing hard, he sat down to rest. He looked up when a pair of feet in ballet flats came into view.

Heather smiled and held out a bottle of water to him. "You did great today. Take a break for a bit and then hit the showers. You've got algebra homework," she reminded him gently.

Jason downed the water and then groaned. "Come on, that's not fair. I've been working all day since I got home from school! I don't even know why I have to go there anyway," he added with a scowl.

"Because if we didn't send you, Bruce would be arrested for child neglect and you'd get sent to Juvie," Heather folded her arms and quirked an eyebrow.

Jason rolled his eyes in response. "You guys could home school me."

"You actually want to be stuck inside the manner twenty-four-seven, with Alfred lecturing you all day, and then me kicking your ass during training in the afternoons before going out on patrol for the rest of the night beating up bad guys with Bruce?" Heather's tone became incredulous. "Dude, you'd die of cabin fever within a week. Sure you're not a social butterfly at school like –" she cut herself off abruptly, realizing what she'd been about to say.

Jason's green eyes narrowed. "Like who?"

"Nobody. It's not important. You should go take that shower, you really reek," she said stiffly, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

He growled in irritation, standing up from the bench. "Why do you and Bruce always do that? I know who you're comparing me to. You don't have to pretend that I don't know." He folded his arms tightly, glaring at up her, wishing that she didn't still have four or five inches in height on him.

"That you don't know what?" She asked squarely, one hand sliding to her hip.

"That I don't know I'll never be as good as him," Jason angrily pointed back to the display cases for the suits. There were five now. One held Batman's, then Barbara's, Heather's, Jason's and the last – the one that was never opened anymore – held the original Robin suit.

"I know I'm not the first Robin and I'll never be as good as him, that I'll never live up to your expectations," He continued. "I know I'm not good enough! You don't have to tiptoe around the subject. I know it's all you and Bruce and Barbara can think about whenever you watch me."

Heather frowned. "That's not true, Jase. None of us feel that way about you. We'd never try to compare you to him."

"You just were a second ago," Jason accused.

She closed her eyes for a second. "Jay, that's not how I meant it. I just meant that he was better at getting along with others than you are. You do have a tendency to get into a lot of fights at school," she added as gently as possible. "Granted, he did fight occasionally – but usually it was because someone else was getting picked on. Sometimes I think you just start fights because you can."

"That's not true!" He shouted.

"Oh really? What about when you fought with Lagoon Boy last week?" She folded her arms and waited for his answer.

He looked away. "Guy had it coming. He's always being really obnoxious, especially to Superboy. It ticks me off as it is, but then he said…"

Her head tilted to the side in thought as Jason trailed off. "Yes? What did he say?"

He shook his head. "It's not important."

"Let me be the judge of that. What did he say?"

Jason was silent for a long moment, still looking somewhere past Heather's left shoulder. "Said he thought you were really a villain just pretending to be on our side… that you were really a blood sucking vampire who was going to kill Batman someday."

Heather's eyebrows shot up at that, then her eyes narrowed calculatingly. "Well, I knew he wasn't fond of me – after all, I wasn't very pleasant the one time I met him – however this is news to me. Why didn't you tell Batman or anyone else this?"

He shrugged. "Like I said, it wasn't that important. Besides, those dweebs in the League never would've believed me. I don't think they like me."

"You did make fun of Hawkman's uniform and you hit on Wonder Woman," She couldn't hold in a smirk remembering that. "It wasn't a great first impression, even if it was funny as hell." She grew serious then, "Still, you should have at least told me and Batman. We would've been able to do something about this sooner. It's bad enough that Lagoon Boy has an attitude problem with authority; it's another when he starts accusing people of being members of the undead."

Jason gave her a slightly uncertain look. "You've never drank peoples blood, right?"

Heather's nose wrinkled at the thought. "God no. I only bite, I never suck. Usually, the venom only needs to pierce skin and reach the nerves to take affect; there's no need for the pulmonary system to be accessed. The few times I have bitten hard enough to draw any, my venom usually burns away the blood before it can even reach my taste buds. And you should remember, I only use that power as a last resort."

"Good thing too," he commented, his green eyes suddenly dancing with amusement.

"Why's that?" she asked warily.

"It'd probably be really awkward for Kurt if you were into giving hickeys," he grinned.

Heather blushed crimson. "Jason Todd! What Kurt and I do in our personal lives is none of your business!"

"Oh, so you have bitten him before? Paralyzing venom – sounds kinky," Jason chuckled roughly.

"Oh lord," she groaned, covering her eyes at the images _that_ brought up in her mind. "Just – just go get a shower! And while you're at it, see if you can bleach your brain out. It's been in the gutter way too long to be healthy."

"Hey, I'm fifteen," he called back as he walked to the showers. "Sue me!"

Heather shook her head. _I swear, I'm telling Bruce as soon as he gets home that Jason is not allowed to watch movies above a PG rating until he's thirty. And I'm also telling him that we need an intervention. I can't believe Jason actually thinks we compare him to Dick. They've never even met and Jason still feels like he lives in Dick's proverbial shadow. We've got to fix this inferiority complex before it gets out of control. It could really affect his performance in the field… and that's one thing we can't afford._

_**Two Weeks Afterward…**_

"Bats will you please calm down? It's not a big deal – ow!" Heather winced as Alfred tugged the surgical needle through her skin once more.

"My apologies, Miss Heather," Alfred said, giving her one of his kind smiles. It was nothing more than a quick quirk of the man's lips, which most people would miss if they didn't know the butler well.

Heather smirked back, "you're okay Alfred. Like I said earlier," she glared at Batman's back as she finished, "I'm fine. The stitches aren't necessary. I'll be normal by tomorrow morning."

"Black Bat, I'm so sorry! I should've been paying more attention," Barbara apologized again, running a hand through her red locks. She had her cowl down, as did Bruce. Heather had removed the top part of her costume in favor of a t-shirt so Alfred could patch her up. Jason was sulking by the costume cases, his mask still on.

"Babs, relax, I'm okay," Heather insisted. "A couple of stitches for me is like a light bruise to the rest of you."

"It's twenty-eight stitches, Black Bat," Batman gritted out, turning away from the computer at last. His jaw muscles were clearly visible as tension rolled through him, his arms shaking whenever his fists flexed. Which was quite often as he attempted to rein in his temper. "You nearly had your arm cut off!"

Heather rolled her eyes, scoffing, "the blade missed by a couple of inches and I knew it would. If I hadn't pushed Barbara out of the way, it would've lopped her head clean off. Better a minor cut on my forearm than a decapitated Batgirl."

"I'd hardly call it a minor cut," Alfred commented dryly, finishing off another stich, making the count now twenty-nine. The thick, black cord was the only thing holding the arachnid's skin together from her elbow to her wrist.

"Regardless," Heather said, shooting the British man an irritated 'you're not helping' look. "I'm okay. We're all fine. The bad guys are in jail. That's all that matters."

"That's _not_ all that matters when this could've been prevented," Bruce seethed, beginning to pace back and forth in front of them.

"Bruce, there's no reason to be blaming anyone," Heather insisted, shooting a quick glance in the direction of the Boy Wonder. "It was just a –"

"Mistake?!" Bruce snapped, stunning her into silence. "Mistakes are something we can't afford. Not in this business. Had you're spider-sense not detected that Batgirl was in trouble, I would be upstairs right now on the phone, explaining to the Commissioner what happened to his daughter! And what if you had miscalculated? What if the blade hadn't hit where it did? You'd be an amputee, or worse." He glared at the girls darkly, "this shouldn't have happened."

"But it did," Barbara said quietly. "And we'll learn from it and be better next time."

"There won't be a next time for all of you," Bruce responded. "Effective immediately, Robin is only to receive training here in the cave. No field work until I say so."

Jason spun around at that, his expression both devastated and outraged. "What? You can't do that!"

Bruce gave him a cold look. "I just did."

"That's not fair!" Jason shouted. "How was I supposed to know the blade was heading towards Barbara? I was trying to get to the bomb before it blew the building sky high!"

"Despite the fact that your orders were to keep the men busy so Heather and I could work on the bomb," Batman countered coolly. "You didn't listen. You ran ahead, leaving Batgirl to deal with the henchmen alone, making her too distracted to notice the blade about to behead her. Had Heather not moved when she did, you would've been responsible for Batgirl's death."

The youngest of the batclan seemed at a loss for words for a moment. He glanced uncertainly at Barbara and Heather. Batgirl fiddled with her utility belt. Black Bat kept her eyes glued to Alfred's hands wrapping her arm in gauze after finishing the job at thirty-two stitches. Neither girl returned his look.

"I – I didn't mean…" Robin trailed off. "I just thought – I didn't think it was fair that I always have to be the distraction. I thought I'd be more helpful if I stopped the bomb."

"You have no experience disarming explosives," Batman said. "It's not like in the movies where it's always the red wire. Most of the time, there's a secondary trigger that can detonate the bomb in an instant if you cut the wrong wire first. What did you think you were going to do? Pull all the components out and hope for the best?"

"Batman," Barbara hissed sharply. "There's no need to be so harsh. The kid's still learning. Not his fault he hasn't covered bombs in training yet."

"That's not the point," her boss shot back. "He was given an assignment and he disregarded it, nearly killing his teammate and endangering the whole city in the process. That's why he's on monitor duty and will be given extra training until I say he can get back in the field. No arguments – from any of you," he added, looking not only at Jason but the two female operatives as well.

"Well, this all sounds very familiar," another male voice said, stepping out from the shadows by the batelevator where he'd been listening. Dick smiled and walked closer, his hands placed casually in the pockets of his jacket.

"Welcome home, Master Dick," Alfred said, not seeming surprised at all as he put away the instruments he'd used to mend Black Bat's arm.

"Glad you could make it," Heather smirked, relief evident in her eyes.

Barbara grinned and ran over, giving the acrobat a hug. "It's so good to see you! I didn't think you would come."

"Hey, when I have two beautiful ladies _and_ Alfred telling me to visit Gotham, how can I refuse?" Dick replied cheerfully, though he eyed Batman and 'Robin' carefully.

Said Dark Knight's eyes slid from his two protégés to his butler suspiciously. "Explain. Now."

"It's simple, Bats." Heather hopped off the table, walked passed her boss and slid an arm around Jason, gripping him tight so he wouldn't run away, and steered the teen closer to the group. "Babs, Alfred and I talked it over, and realized we needed a Batfamily reunion."

"Slash intervention," Barbara added, also pulling Dick nearer. The acrobat eyed her, obviously feeling dumbfounded and deceived.

"What the hell do you mean, intervention?" Jason spat, trying to break Heather's hold in vain. Sometimes he forgot that despite her slim stature, she was stronger than even Batman.

"This is nonsense. We don't have time for this," Bruce shook his head and turned, clearly intending on leaving the batcave.

However, he was thwarted when Alfred materialized out of nowhere with a tray holding glasses of milk and a plate of cookies. "Sir, I really must insist that you stay for this," the butler said simply, yet his tone was distinct. _No one is leaving until I say so._

Bruce shot him a betrayed look. "Fine."

"Awesome!" Heather grinned. "Now, who wants cookies?"

Dick, appearing resigned that he'd been hoodwinked, shrugged. "Sure. Got any chocolate chip?"

After a couple of wardrobe changes – Alfred still insisted on the 'no capes in the house' rule – the group of six had convened to the living room in the manor above the cave. Everyone was spread out pretty evenly, with the three bat men apparently competing for just how far apart they could be from each other while still being in one room. Barbara and Heather, with significant glances traded, had silently agreed to station themselves flanking the door, lest anyone think of making a hasty getaway.

"I still don't see why we're doing this," Jason grumbled beneath his breath from his spot sulking on the couch.

Heather resisted the urge to slap her forehead or roll her eyes or sigh, though the temptation was strong for either option. "We're doing this because you all need to grow a pair, quit being idiots, swallow your pride and talk out your problems."

"Dunno what you're talkin' about, HM. I don't have any problems," Dick replied, a bit coolly. He'd been pointedly ignoring his friends since the whole con behind his invitation to Gotham was revealed, focusing instead on carefully tearing his portion of the cookies into small pieces and dunking them in his milk one by one.

"Right," Babs snorted, "and I'm Wonder Woman."

"Why are you two even getting involved?" Bruce asked, clearly having been stewing over the question for some time now.

"Because it's a little hard to work around here lately," Barbara said exasperatedly.

"No kidding," Heather added, gesturing at the men scattered around the room while she elaborated. "Between you and Dick reenacting the Cold War, Jason degrading himself left and right because he thinks we compare him to Dick, and you ripping apart Jason's self-confidence because you _do_ in fact compare him to Dick, Barbara and I are going nuts just keeping our heads afloat; both here and in the field!"

"It has to stop. All of it," the younger red head finished, crossing her arms.

Bruce's face went stony and it was clear from his posture – arms folded, legs crossed – that if anyone was going to start this conversation, it sure wasn't going to be him. Dick also looked reluctant to begin, glancing uncomfortably from his 'replacement', to his mentor, to his friends.

In the end, surprising almost everyone there, it was Jason who opened his mouth first.

"I didn't have it easy growing up," the teen muttered, staring at the Persian rug under his black Chucks. "When I spotted the Batmobile in the alley that night… it was impossible to resist. I admit, I was scared when Batman showed up out of nowhere; who wouldn't be right? But I guess I was more afraid of being caught and sent somewhere – Juvie or Prison – neither was an appealing option. When Batman offered me the chance at the thrill of a lifetime? I jumped at the offer. At first, that's all it was. A thrill. An adventure. Then I realized something: this wasn't a game. People die trying to save the world and not every hero's story has a happy ending. I know that sometimes I do things that put people in danger, but it's only because I want to help. If anyone has to die trying to protect others… maybe it would be better if it were me."

Before anyone else could really respond to this unexpected confession, Heather was across the room and pulling Jason into her arms. The teen squirmed a bit, uncomfortable at the sudden affection from his mentor. "Uh, Heather? What are you doing?"

"Sorry, sorry," Heather muttered, pulling back from the embrace but keeping firm hold of Jason's shoulders.

He was stunned to see tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. _Since when does Fang cry?_

She seemed to read the question from his face and gave a shaky smile. "I know sometimes I seem less than human, but I can assure you I do have human emotions. More than that, I care about you Jason. You're my brother. So what if we don't have the same parents – that doesn't matter to me. I'm so sorry you felt like we didn't care about you. No one here would ever want you to…" she bit her lip, which made Jason ponder the errant question of whether her venom could paralyze herself.

"No one wants to see you dead, Jay," Barbara said quietly, reminding the Boy Wonder of the others present in the room. "No one."

"And none of us compare you to Dick," Heather added, wiping a lone tear from her cheekbone.

Jason looked down at his hands laying in his lap as they clenched into fists. "Bruce does."

"So what?" Dick spoke up for the first time. Jason stared at his predecessor as the acrobat shrugged his shoulders, arms still folded across his chest. "So what if Bruce thinks you should be like me? Doesn't mean you should be. You are your own person and so am I. Asking you to be like me, is like asking Heather and Babs to act like each other – it just wouldn't work. Besides, I told Heather that I wanted someone else to take up the mantle of Robin. That's not who I am anymore, however someone has to be there to keep Bats from going too far."

"Black Bat and Batgirl can only do so much, Jason," Barbara said. "In the end, if we needed to, we could leave and figure out our own path without Batman. But not Robin. Batman and Robin need each other. Bruce and you need each other."

Jason glanced at Bruce, who'd remained silent. "Do you… do you really need me?"

Bruce glared at the portrait over the fireplace. "You heard the others."

"I want to hear it from _you_!" Jason yelled, jumping to his feet. His fists shook by his sides. "Do you actually need me, or am I just a convenience? A means to an end? Would you rather see me die than your precious Golden Boy?"

Bruce was quiet.

There was a long beat of silence.

Finally, Batman stood up, his eyes on the floor, refusing to meet anyone's gaze. "I have work to do in the Batcave. I suggest you all get some sleep." He left the room.

Heather, Barbara and Dick traded uncertain glances.

Slowly, Heather stood and put a gentle hand on Jason's trembling shoulder. "Jase?" she murmured.

With a roar, Jason turned and punched Heather in the gut. Despite the anger and energy fueling the shot, it was unfocused and weak, hardly bruising Heather's mutate physiology. Neither did the next several punches Jason threw at her torso.

When Dick and Barbara moved to intervene, Heather only shook her head and they stopped to watch as Jason beat out his frustrations. Gradually, his hits slowed as hot tears poured out. Finally, he was only weakly pounding loose fists against her as she pulled him into a tight hug.

"It'll be okay, Jason," Heather whispered into the boy's dark hair while he sobbed. "I promise."

_To be continued…_

_AN: So… yeah. Hope that was worth it because it sure took forever to write!_

_I should probably point out at this point that, yes, Jason did have a tiny thing for Heather, but let's remember people: She's twenty here and he's fifteen – in other words not legal (and sort of gross). They're relationship is strictly plutonic. Jason just wants Heather to not see him as a little kid and to respect him as an equal, even if to begin with he had a crush on her. Really, who of us has never entertained a crush on someone way older than us, and way out of our league? I know I have… wait, I'm the only one? Well, that's… sad. Erm *cough* right, moving on._

_So, thoughts? Comments? Questions about what the hell is going on? PM me or leave a review. Thanks for reading and I'll see you guys next time!_


	28. We Are Young

_*Ducks* Please don't throw your computers/various mobile devices at me! I'm really sorry about the delay! I've been swamped with my summer classes (they're my last two credits, and after they're over I'll be a college graduate! Woot! ^_^) and various other details of my life, so… sorry!_

_As you might've figured out, this is not the next portion of FSA or TS – sorry (again) about that. However, neither of those next chapters are done so I'm putting this up. Just a bit of comedy and fluff (sort of)._

_The title is inspired by the song "We Are Young" by the band fun., who I freaking love, by the way. Does it really tie-in to the song? …Eh, no, but it's still fun.! ;D Anyway, enjoy and review! (Also, if anyone wanted to leave a review on the new chapter of Legacy of a Hero, I wouldn't be opposed to reading it ;) :hinthint:)_

**What a Web We Weave**

**28) We Are Young**

"Wally, if I've said it once, I've said a billion times – I'm gonna KILL YOU!" Artemis screeched, chasing after the redhead with her – now slightly over sized – bow and arrows.

"This is so not cool," Zatanna muttered from her place pouting on the couch. She pushed her hair out of her face impatiently. She needed some clips, but she didn't feel like trying to find them in her room. "Evig em owt sliatgip," she whispered, and her long black hair suddenly was braided on either side of her head, tied off with big purple bows.

"Tell me about it," Heather grumbled on the arm chair. Having folded up her legs to her chest, she held them tightly and placed her chin on her knees. "Puberty was hard enough the first time around."

"Let's not lose our heads yet," Kaldur told them watching Artemis and Kid Flash with growing impatience. "Can someone catch them please?"

"I can maybe snag Wally," Robin offered from his seat on top of the fridge. He swung his legs back and forth cutely, and grinned down at his friends.

Heather sighed and unfurled herself from her seat. "I've got Artemis."

She stepped around M'gann and Conner, who were coloring at the coffee table. Actually, M'gann was coloring and Conner was watching her with intense fascination. Evidently, the clone was trying to get used to the idea of being eleven, and wasn't quite sure what he should be doing.

Heather walked over to the fridge and held out her arms to the acrobat above her. "Robin, will you please come down? I'll catch you."

Robin gave her a pouty look. "I can catch myself!" He protested, folding his arms.

Heather sighed. "Yeah, I know you can, buddy. Just please come down safely this one time – for me? Batman will kill me if you're hurt _and_ eight years old."

Robin considered that for a second. He didn't want to make Batman mad… and it wouldn't hurt to humor his friend, even if she was being silly. After all, he was doing gymnastics before he could walk. "Okay. Just this once." He pushed off from his ledge and landed in the thirteen year olds arms, grinning up at her through messy black hair.

Heather couldn't help smirking back as she put him down on the floor. The two then went into the training room together, where they found Wally literally running circles around Artemis.

"Any ideas, D?" Heather asked, looking down at Robin.

The bird seemed to think about it for a moment before grinning and nodding. "Uh-huh. Dis – uh, distra – er, keep Wally busy for me, kay?" He called over his shoulder as he fired a grappling hook up to the rafters and shot up to the ceiling.

Heather snickered to herself. _He'd kill me for saying this. But, gosh, he's just so cute! How did Batman ever get anything done with him around? I have to keep stopping myself from pinching his cheeks._ Shaking the thought away, she ran towards the whirlwind, formally known as Wally, and the eye of the storm, aka Artemis. Following the former circus boy's example, she sent a webline up to an air vent above her and pulled herself up. While in the air, she looked down, aimed carefully and hit Artemis in the back with another webline, pulling the archer up with her.

"Hey!" Artemis protested, flailing her legs and arms. "I almost had him! Heather, put me down!"

Heather shook her head as she swung them back to the floor, a safe distance away from Wally's mini tornado. Once their feet were stable, she quickly snatched Artemis' bow and arrows, holding them away and above their heads. Artemis struggled to grab them back, but couldn't get past her friend's hand on her forehead.

"Not cool, Heather! Gimme!" The archer yelled.

Heather shook her head, tossing the items into the air and shooting them with her webbing, sticking them high up the wall where no one – save herself, M'gann or Robin – would be able to reach them. "Nuh-uh. Not until you calm down. I promise, we'll beat up Wally later. Right now, we have to find a way to get that artifact to work in reverse and get us all back to our right ages. _Before_ Batman or anyone else checks in on us. We're just lucky Red Tornado is out on a mission and Captain Marvel hasn't gotten here yet."

Artemis stopped struggling, but glared at the older girl fiercely, turning away with a huff. "Fine! But I better get my bow back in one piece when this is all over!" She stormed back into the living room.

Heather rolled her eyes and sighed. "And I thought her sister was the drama queen," she muttered, folding her arms.

"I heard that!" Artemis snapped from the other room.

"Good!" Heather countered. "Maybe it'll make you get that stick out of your butt!" She paused and thought that last comment over for a second, then sighed. _Great, now I'm starting to think like a thirteen year old too!_

She was distracted when the wind ceased blowing in the room, there was a small crash and a mutter of "Ow…" She turned and found Robin dusting off his hands.

"Done!" The acrobat exclaimed, walking over to where Wally lay sprawled on the ground in front of the wall, not moving but at least groaning.

"What did you do?" Heather called, her eyes widening as she jogged over to the eight and eleven year olds.

"I left a trail of marshmallows over to the wall," Robin explained with another grin, this one a bit more akin to his normal smirk. Apparently, even at eight, Dick had a cheeky sense of humor.

"And you fell for it?" Heather asked the speedster as he struggled to sit up.

The other ginger rubbed his head, glaring at the little gypsy while he spoke. "I love marshmallows. Lots of sugar, equals lots of energy, equals lots of running! How was I supposed to know there would be a wall at the end of them?"

Heather slapped her face and shook her head. "How did your uncle ever put up with you?"

Wally thought this over for a second. "I dunno. Aunt Iris helped, I think."

Heather sighed. "Come on, guys, let's go figure out how to clean up Kid Flash's mess… again."

"Hey! How was I supposed to know the doohickey would de-age us to middle school kids? …or in Rob's case, elementary school," Wally called after her as she walked back into the living room to join the others.

Robin slapped him upside the head. Quite a feat, considering the redhead was head and shoulders taller than the dark haired lad. "I'm already in fifth grade, doofus," he said as he followed Heather's lead.

Wally frowned and jogged at a human pace to catch up. "How did you pull that off?"

Robin answered without looking at him. "I was in homeschool most of my life. When they tested me to place me in the right grade, I was way ahead of my class and far enough ahead of the next one up. So Batman talked them into letting me be in fifth grade." He shot his friend a warning glance not to ask anything more on the subject. That would only lead to questions about his parents. He may have still been thirteen mentally, but every moment he spent being eight again was bringing up memories of the last time he'd seen his Tati and Mama. Memories he couldn't think about right now.

"Good, we're all here," Kaldur said as everyone settled into the living room.

"Can we get this over with? I wanna go back to my normal age so I can kick Kid Idiot's butt!" Artemis complained from her corner of the love seat. Zatanna, who was sitting next to her, eyed her carefully and moved closer to the other arm rest.

"Robin, has your decoder program been able to figure out these symbols on the device?" Kaldur asked, point to the offending artifact on the coffee table, which looked like a mixture between a soup thermos and a tv remote.

"Um," Robin stared at his wrist computer's readout blankly, his brow furrowed. He turned to Heather – as he was sitting in her lap – and shrugged helplessly. "I don't remember how to do calculus."

Heather held back a snicker. "Here, let me see," she offered, holding Robin's wrist so she could better see the holoscreen. She read the information carefully, biting her lip every now and then, as her eyes gradually narrowed. "Uh, I think this is saying that to reverse the po-polar, er…"

"Polarity?" Conner offered. Clearly, though the clone had lost five years like the rest of the team, he still had all the knowledge the genomorphs had stuffed into his brain.

"Yes, thank you," Heather flashed him a smile and went back to reading. "To reverse the polarity, we have to… uh, turn the center gauge to negative fifty-five, calculate the speed of light multiplied by the speed of sound and work it into the equation of the regulator, then dial in the code?"

It was silent for a few moments as the preteens (and kid) in the room glanced at each other uncertainly.

"What does all that mean?" Megan finally questioned, a small 'v' appearing between her eyebrows.

Heather stared blankly at the screen in front of her. "Not a clue. Robin?"

Robin shrugged his small shoulders. "_Nu am nimic_," he replied.

The others shot him odd looks.

"He says he's got nothing," Heather translated. "Wally?"

The speedster rubbed the back of his neck. "You're guess is as good as mine, Heather. I really don't know what to make of that technical mumbo jumbo. Like Rob said, I've begun forgetting most of the sciencey stuff that was in my head."

"Great! We're stuck like this," Artemis threw her hands in the air in defeat, sagging back into the cushions. "Mom is going to freak. Although, Jade and Dad should be happy – they'll have a chance to disappoint and/or abandon me all over again."

"Now there's a cheery thought," Zatanna muttered.

"I really don't want to have to get taller again," Heather mumbled. "It hurt enough the first time – and the bill for all the jean sizes I went through was ridiculous."

Without a word, Conner picked up the device and began fiddling with the controls.

Kaldur and Heather exchanged glances. "Superboy, might I ask what you're doing?" the leader of the team finally ventured.

"Resetting the remote," Conner said in his approximation of a 'duh' tone.

"You understood all the stuff Heather just read off Robin's computer?" Wally asked, scratching his head.

"Yes."

"Oh."

M'gann broke the awkward silence that followed by throwing her arms around the boy's neck. "Conner, that's wonderful!"

"Uh-huh," Conner replied, still fiddling with the many dials on the device. "Almost got it."

"Good, 'cause Robin's starting to lose touch with his English," Heather replied, eying the boy who appeared more and more confused.

"Ce este toată lumea spunând, Heather?" Robin said, turning to the auburn haired girl. _What's everyone saying, Heather?_

"Conner pot repara aparatul," Heather told him with a gentle smile. "Noi vom fi din nou normal în curând, D." _Conner can fix the remote. We'll be normal again soon, D._

"Why is Robin not speaking in English?" Zatanna asked, cocking her head to the side.

"English isn't his native tongue," Wally said in a matter of fact tone.

Heather slapped the boy upside the head. "Quiet, Kid Mouth."

"What are you two hiding?" Artemis demanded.

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" Wally held up his hands, trying to appear innocent and failing. Heather rolled her eyes at her friend's bad acting skills. She shared a look with Dick, who despite the growing language gap, could tell perfectly well when Wally was being an idiot.

Before anyone could further grill the trio, Conner clicked something into place on the remote and hummed to life. "Fixed," he announced vaguely, "I think."

"Okay," Heather stood up, pulling Dick onto her hip and taking the device from Conner. She juggled her two burdens for a moment, sending a light glare at the acrobat. "Tu sunt mici. Deși aveți foarte grele," she muttered to him, but he only smirked back. _You are small. Although you're really heavy._

"According to those plans," Heather murmured, holding up the remote cautiously, "all I have to do to reverse the de-aging, is press the big button in the center..."

"You don't sound so sure?" Megan commented.

"Well, I trust Robin's computer and Conner's technology skills," Heather bit her lip. "But, if they're both wrong, we could wind up even younger, or too old, or dead, or embryos, or… something!" She sighed and shook her head, holding out the device, "Here, someone else do it."

"I'll do it," Kaldur volunteered, taking the remote/soup thermos thing. "Here goes nothing." He pressed the button.

Instantly a bright light pulsed out from the device and filled the room, blinding the kids for a moment. When the light cleared, the living room appeared distinctly different. The team glanced around cautiously.

"Did it work?" Megan asked, sitting on the floor with her eyes covered.

In answer, Heather suddenly fell over on top of Robin, who she'd still been holding. "Okay, I admit to having the proportionate strength of a spider, but dude you really put me off balance," she complained, sitting up and rubbing her head.

"Not my fault you don't have my poise," Robin retorted with his signature cackle.

"Hey, you're not eight anymore!" Wally exclaimed, scanning the rest of his teammates with growing delight. "We're teens!"

"Whoo hoo!" Zatanna cried, fist pumping. Which looked kind of odd with her hair still in pigtails, but no one said anything.

"Oh thank God," Heather murmured, examining her physique. "Now I don't have to explain to my mom why I need a training bra again."

"Heather!" Robin hissed, his cheeks tinted bright pink beneath his sunglasses. "Can you keep those comments to yourself?"

The arachnid shrugged and stood. "Hey, word vomit. What are you going to do, right?"

"So, what do we tell the League?" Artemis asked.

"Tell the League about what?" A cheerful voice called. They turned and found Captain Marvel and Red Tornado standing in the doorway. "What'd we miss?"

Young Justice exchanged glances and a few subtle smirks.

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!"

_AN: Tada! Another "Wally Did It!" chapter finished! I love doing these to be honest, even though I'm not that good at them. Did you like it? Hate it? Made you laugh? Groan? Want to punch me in the mouth? Well… um, don't do the last one, 'kay? I still have to take my senior portraits. Just send me a review and tell me what you think instead! Doesn't that sound much better? …um, doesn't it? _ Uh, what are you doing with that baseball bat? 0.o *runs and jumps in the batmobile* Go Robin! Go! Go! GO!_


	29. Being Normal Sucks

_Hello 2014!_

_And hello to you, the few readers who are still with me, you're awesome ^_^ It has been an unspeakably long time since I updated this, and I fully intend to see this project of mine through until I feel it's finally complete… whenever that happens, I'll let you know__._

_For now, let's bid farewell to a very, uh, odd year _ and hope that whatever lies in store for 2014 it will at the least be amusing when we talk about it thirty years from now – man__,__ I can't wait to have a conversation about twerking and Miley Cyrus' downward spiral with my kids someday :D I imagine it will go about the same way as when my parents talk about Vietnam and Bob Dylan… if you're wondering if I really just compared those four things together, why yes. Yes I did… wait, I did, right?_

_Okay, now I'm just rambling. Let's get on with the chapter already. Enjoy guys! :)_

**What a Web We Weave**

**29) Being Normal Sucks**

_Clink. Thud. Clink. Thud. Clink. Thud._

Heather took a deep breath, trying not to wince. That noise – ugh, that god awful noise just wouldn't stop! The continuous rhythm of it alone was driving her crazy. As if the current predicament wasn't stressful enough.

_Clink. Thud. Clink. Thud. Clink. Thud._

Once more, she tugged on the ropes coiled tightly around her, binding her to a wooden chair. She wiggled her ankles furiously, which only aggravated her skin more. It was all in vain. She knew this too, but it was the only thing that was keeping her mind off that horrible noise, and the even more horrible person making it.

_Clink. Thud. Clink. Thud. Clink. Thud._

Sighing ever so softly, she looked across at the other unfortunate victim of this whole affair.

Dick stared back at her, his blue eyes reflecting her own frustrations and worries. Dirty black hair hung messily across his forehead, barely hiding the nasty cut where he'd been knocked out. The blood had long ago dried, but that didn't make it look any prettier, and maybe it was the bad lighting but Heather thought she could see traces of pink beginning to appear around the wound.

_Lovely, that's exactly what Dick needs – an infection on top of everything else,_ Heather thought. _Could this day get any worse?_

_Clink. Thud. Clink. Thud…_ Suddenly the rhythm paused, making a cold feeling seep into both teen's stomachs.

_I had to ask,_ Heather groused.

Footsteps sounded across the cement floor, steady and precise. A shadowy figure stepped between Dick and Heather. His face was hidden in darkness from the poor lighting, but what was apparent about him wasn't very pleasant. In one hand, was a double-barreled, 22 mm semi-automatic. The other hand was clenched hard into a fist, but gradually was opened to reveal a coin.

"**I'm still waiting for my answer, girl,"** A dark, scratchy voice said coldly. The hand with the coin flipped it and caught it midair. _Clink. Thud._

"And I'm still waiting for the car I was promised on my sweet sixteen," Heather replied sarcastically, doing a decent job of masking her fear. "We don't always get what we want."

The grip on the gun tightened. The coin was flipped and caught again. _Clink. Thud._ **"You don't know who you're dealing with,"** the rough voice replied.

Instinctively, Heather scoffed, "Seriously? That line is as old as the hills. You're no different than any of the other crazies from Arkham. You think you're special, but really you're just as nuts as any other villain on the planet."

Had she been able to see Dick, Heather might have been able to note his expression and brace herself for the love tap she would receive – not so lovingly – from the double-barreled gun.

Suddenly she was staring at the floor, her vision swimming in and out of focus. One second it was the dirty, cracked cement, the next it was black and gray spots, and then back again. Her head felt like it was exploding in pain, and she felt something wet gathering in her hair at the temple. Oh and the ringing in her ears was really just icing on the cake. She was suddenly aware of a presence close to her, a calloused finger tilting her head back up.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you how to talk with respect?" The voice was smoother now, though still cold and calculating. It was a voice that she'd heard only from TV campaign ads, years ago when she was still a kid. It was the voice of Harvey Dent.

Heather blinked blearily, swallowing back the nausea rising in her throat. She wasn't sure if it was from the blow, or the sight in front of her. Two-Face sneered at her grimly, the gun now pressed snugly at the dip in her collarbone.

"I don't see anything here worth respecting," She gritted out defiantly.

Part of her wondered if she was secretly suicidal, though the rest of her knew that she couldn't help it. Like her father, she was a smartass, particularly when her life was on the line. Normally, after trading sarcasm with bad guys, she could punch them, or kick them, or flip out of the way of their gun/death ray/tentacle/other weapon of choice.

Unfortunately, with circumstances as they were, she couldn't do a thing, and surprisingly it wasn't because she was tied to a chair with a possible concussion.

It started out as a normal enough Friday. She'd gone to school and suffered through her classes with as much grace as possible. After, she'd zeta beamed to Gotham, where she had plans to hang out with Dick. They'd arranged to meet at Gotham Java, Dick's favorite internet café, for coffee and some well-deserved downtime. No masks or capes involved.

She'd arrived on time, finding Dick was already plugged into his laptop at a table in the back of the room, sipping something with lots of whipped cream on top. She'd flagged down a waiter, gave him her order of straight black with an extra shot and sat down with her friend. They'd chatted awhile, watched some ridiculously silly videos online that had both of them in stitches, listened to music, and just hung out.

Everything had been going so great, that they lost track of time. When Heather downed the last of her fourth cup, it was close to five and the café was closing. Both teens confessed that they had to get home, Dick to go out on patrol, Heather to go home for dinner. They paid the bill (well, Dick did, though Heather protested the whole time that she could cover her half 'just fine, thank you') and left.

Outside, it was dusk. In Gotham that meant it was practically night, if the dark, smog filled sky was anything to judge by. Heather asked if Dick was going to call Alfred. She was worried about him walking to the mansion alone even if he was the Boy Wonder. He replied that he would just take the Zeta Beam to the Batcave. So they walked to the alleyway together.

They'd almost made it there too, when a black van screeched up and blocked their path in the street. They had immediately turned to run the other way when a second black van skidded to a halt. Three men exited each van, making it half a dozen goons against the two civilian dressed teenagers. The odds weren't exactly in their favor, but they fought them off anyway as best they could without looking too much like professionals.

They'd nearly won when something went wrong.

At this point, Heather couldn't quite remember how it all went down. Maybe she'd zigged one way when Dick had expected her to zag. Maybe she'd been too focused on her own three baddies, to notice anyone sneaking up on Robin from behind. Maybe she could have done something to prevent it, but maybe she couldn't have.

Either way, Dick had been cold cocked by Two-Face, unconscious before he'd even hit the pavement. No matter how much training she'd received, she simply couldn't fight off six henchmen and a seriously demented villain by herself – not without giving away her identity.

Thus, she and Dick had been captured and taken to somewhere in Gotham by the docks. All of which in turn, brought us back to the current ominous situation.

Two-Face narrowed his eyes and cocked the gun, pressing it more firmly into her right shoulder. **"Answer my question," **he demanded, his voice returning to the darker side of his personality. **"Who are you and how do you know Dick Grayson?"**

Heather clamped her jaw shut resolutely and narrowed her own blue eyes.

Two-Face snarled in frustration, his finger curling tighter around the trigger, almost pulling it.

Then he stopped.

His grip relaxed as an idea that made him smile came to mind. Heather could barely repress a shudder over that smile. It was just too… psychotic. Not even Hobgoblin gave her the same chills as Two-Face.

The split-personality criminal stood and walked over to Dick, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder. Heather tensed as Two-Face leveled the gun at Dick's temple. To the Boy Wonder's credit, he didn't flinch, other than the slightest movement of his throat as he swallowed reflexively.

"**Tell me what I want to know,"** Two-Face said darkly, pressing the gun tightly against Dick's head. **"Or it's curtains for our little circus brat."**

Heather bit her lip. What could she do? She wouldn't let Dick die – Bruce, Alfred, the Team, the Justice League, they'd never forgive her. She'd never forgive herself, the two of them were like siblings. But on the other hand, she couldn't very well tell mister bipolar: 'we're friends because we both have an obsession with dressing in tights, and knocking heads together'.

"I…" she swallowed, torn.

"**Choose girl, or fate will choose for you,"** the villain held up his coin for emphasis, scared side up. Dick mouthed for her to 'stay quiet'.

A trickle of sweat rolled down her neck, which didn't help her already freaked out spider-sense. Damn it all, she was not going to watch some psycho put a bullet in her friend's head!

"We met at a charity ball!" Heather finally blurted. Two-Face paused, his finger having been tensing on the trigger. "My dad works for _The Daily Bugle_," she went on, unable to stop the word vomit. "I was helping him cover the ball for a press release. I met Dick there. We became friends," she paused, her heart hammering in her chest.

There was a long silent moment in which Heather could swear she could hear everyone's hearts beat. Or maybe that was just her own ticker working overtime.

"_**The Daily Bugle?**_**"** Two-Face echoed eventually, narrowing his eyes. **"You mean to tell me that Richie-Rich here hangs out with a reporter's daughter? Ha! That's a laugh. Nice try, girlie, but you're out of time. Let's see if the Fates are looking out for you today, or not, hmm?"** Dent pulled out his coin slowly.

"No! Please, I told you the truth. Don't hurt him!" Heather pleaded desperately. She tugged on the ropes, knowing that if she broke them now with her strength there would be uncomfortable questions later, but if she didn't do something her best friend would die.

"I'll do anything!" she cried out, the response automatic and unthinking.

That got Harvey's attention.

Dick's eyes widened. _What have you done?_ His gaze asked.

_I wish I knew,_ Heather thought, her forehead crumpling in despair and dread.

Two-Face released Dick's shoulder and slowly walked back to her side, his steps deliberate and measured. Heather stared up at his half deformed face, heart hammering in her chest with sickening thuds. As usual, when tensions were high, her thoughts kicked into overdrive.

_Wicked Wonder Woman, what have I done? If I back off now, he'll kill Dick, but if I agree – no, not an option. But then what do I do? How am I supposed to get us out of this situation without blowing our cover? Or becoming Harvey Dent's personal slave girl (hopefully minus the sex part)?_

"**Anything?"** Two-Face repeated, a sick grin lighting up half of his face.

For once, Heather's tongue stuck thick and fast in her mouth, heavy and dry as cotton. There were no words left. No more clever puns. No more witty retorts or last minute tricks up her sleeve. She felt totally mute. And more than that, royally screwed.

Two-Face frowned at her silence. **"I see. Then I think it's time we played a game, girl." He showed her the coin. "Heads he dies and you live. Tails you both die. Choose wisely." **He flipped the coin. _Clink._

Evidently the Fates, or maybe the goddess Fortuna herself, decided that perhaps they'd played enough with her life today.

The sound of glass shattering echoed through the warehouse as the sparkling, deadly fragments fell around them. What fell in next was distinctly more deadly and about a thousand times more terrifying: Batman. The rest felt like a blur of chaos to Heather, like her concussion was truly catching up to her. The Dark Knight and the disgraced former White Knight struggled and fought around the teens. Dent tried desperately to put a bullet in either of his captives, but Batman would have none of it.

Then, as suddenly as the fight began, it was over.

Harvey Dent lay sprawled out, knocked senseless by Batman's swift uppercut, mumbling incoherently as he teetered on the edge of consciousness. Batman bound his feet and hands with zip ties, then turned to Heather and Dick.

In no time, the police arrived and Two-Face was taken back to Arkham, while an ambulance with two paramedics looked over the former captives.

Batman took Commissioner Gordon aside for a short discussion, detailing what a good idea it would be to keep Heather's name out of any official statements. Fortunately, Gordon agreed immediately. He balked though when Dick stated he was not going to a hospital under any circumstances, and 'could get better medical treatment at home anyway'. Gordon also practically counted to ten when the former acrobat stated Heather would be coming to the mansion, and he'd see her home safely later, but unfortunately for him Dick would not be persuaded otherwise.

The Commissioner finally threw his hands up in surrender. "Have it your way, son. I'm washing my hands of this. Just be sure you get looked at by Mr. Pennyworth, and that Wayne knows what's going on."

"Absolutely," Dick agreed. "I'm sure Bruce is already on it."

Heather suppressed a slightly hysterical giggle. It had been a really long day. Hearing her friend allude to his adopted father's secret identity, but still manage to keep it under wraps… well, it had been an extremely long day. Secret identities just seemed freaking hilarious at this point.

Gordon and the paramedics shot her concerned looks, but didn't say anything. The ambulance packed up and drove away, as did Batman though he said he'd be 'keeping a close eye' on the Wayne household for a while. Dick privately rolled his eyes at Heather, who had to smother another laugh.

"C'mon kids," Gordon called. "I'll give you a ride to the Manor."

They thanked him and piled into the backseat of his cruiser. In the rearview mirror, he caught a glimpse of the two as they drove away. Heather had slumped back in her seat, obviously exhausted and emotionally drained. Dick, almost without thinking about it, slid his arm around her shoulders and let her head rest on him. Their eyes met. She sighed, just once, and he gave her a wry smile like they were sharing a secret joke. Gordon turned his eyes back to the road and kept them there all the way to Wayne Mansion, thinking that it was nice Dick had found a friend he could depend on and that she obviously felt the same way.

When the Commissioner dropped them off, they watched his car roll down the long driveway and out the gates in silence, processing the events of the last few hours. Surprisingly, it was Dick who spoke first.

"Y'know, being normal sucks," he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans, as if he'd just made a casual observation about the weather.

Heather had to sit down as she completely lost her composure, laughing hysterically until he eventually joined in as well. It was in this state that Alfred found them, but he merely lifted an eyebrow, figuring Bruce would fill him in later on what type of Joker gas the two had been exposed to.

_AN: So yes, that was yet another quick snippet rather than a meaningful chapter, but between FSA and TS I'm kind of tapped out of meaningfulness right now. This is the best I can give you guys right now because of reasons – make of that what you will. My schedule is still pretty erratic so there is no telling when the next chapter will be out, just going to say that now._

_In other news, I will be attending Megacon 2014 so if any of you lovely folks will be there as well, I'd love to meet you and we can fangasm together ^_^ …um, that might not have come out right, but I'm not going to rewrite it because it's 12:41am and I so don't care. Anyway, I'll be dressed as Black Canary and I'll also try to be doing some filming for an episode I may or not make of My View in Two. Who knows, we'll see… Um, I really don't know how to end this one :confused: Uh… bye! :) I guess? :shakeshead:_


	30. I Need a Vacation

_AN: This one is… weird. But I hope you enjoy it. It's mostly dialogue and building up to something else down the road. More on that later ;) Anyway, comment, favorite and follow, and don't forget to check me out on Tumblr at raepritewrites, on Pinterest at rae-prite, and on Youtube at rae-prite. Enjoy the show!_

**What a Web We Weave**

**35) I Need a Vacation**

Heather sat at her glass and steel desk, typing on her computer intently. She'd pulled her short auburn locks up into a blue barrette, which matched her silk blouse and she'd paired both with a black pencil skirt and black stilettos.

Though she knew she probably overdressed a bit for work, she didn't really mind. With a mother in show business, she figured she had a right to be a bit more dramatic. Plus the heels made her legs look smoking hot.

As she typed up her latest findings in the lab into a report, she couldn't help feeling like she was being watched, spider-sense tingling at the base of her neck. After a few minutes she discreetly sat back and stretched her arms over her head, rotating her neck both to crack it and to take surveillance of her office.

Sure enough, she spotted one of her boss's more discreet cameras hiding in the corner. Which meant that either: A) he was bored, B) he wanted something, or C) he suspected something was wrong. Heather could only hope it was the first option.

Standing from her desk, she quickly saved the file she'd been working on and left her office, locking the door behind her. Strutting up the hallway – because really, in these heels you couldn't just _walk_ – she passed by several doorways and a few people scurried out of her way quickly.

She smirked slightly to herself.

Though she'd never been as intimidating as Bruce, she'd picked up quite a few lessons in having an air of authority and awe surrounding her. This kept questions to a minimum and her job secure. Just the way she liked it.

Arriving at the elevator, Heather tapped the up button and waited patiently for the car to come. Brushing her bangs away from her face, she also subtly checked to see if anyone was following or paying her more attention than necessary. They weren't. Finally the doors slid open, and she stepped in while pressing the top button – the penthouse floor.

The elevator dinged cheerfully as the doors slid apart, revealing the massive floor plan of Tony Stark's ridiculously huge office. Heather strode over to where Tony was sitting on a couch facing massive floor to ceiling windows, while fiddling with a holo-computer.

"Is there a reason that a camera has been watching my every move for the last hour, Tony? Or should I just go ahead and contact legal so they can help me sue the pants off you?" Heather folded her arms and tapped one foot impatiently, boring holes into the back of her boss's head with her eyes.

Tony turned, evidently surprised. He hadn't heard her come in. Then again, he never seemed able to know when she was there. She came and went like a veritable ghost, and it was starting to bug him.

"Heather! What a nice surprise. Come on in, grab a seat, have a mimosa!" he offered, gesturing in turn at her, the loveseat next to him and the bar where Jarvis – the automated computer system – whipped up the vodka and juice drink.

Heather shook her head. "Tony, it's nine in the morning. It's a bit early to be drinking, even for you. I'll take an iced caramel latte with an extra shot, Jarvis, thank you," she addressed the computer in a less annoyed tone.

"Yes Miss Parker, a wise choice," Jarvis replied, tossing out the mimosa and sliding a coffee machine up through a hole in the countertop of the bar.

Heather's heels click-clacked against the polished floor as she came around the couch and sat on the edge of a plush chair, declining the spot that would have put her next to her boss. "Need I remind you, Tony, that I have a strict privacy stipulation in my contract? I could quit over this. Or better yet, as mentioned earlier, sue you for a pretty penny and retire early."

She crossed her legs and sat back in the chair, picking up her cup of coffee after a small flying robot deposited it there. "Thank you, Jarvis," she added, sipping the drink.

"My pleasure, Miss Parker."

"Heather, you have got to see these new formulas I just got in from Cadmus. I asked their egghead chemists over there for help with that special project we've been working on. Extra brain power, all that," Tony said, completely ignoring her.

"Look at this one here," he tapped the holo-screen and brought up a complex formula with a rotating chemical equation. "This has potential for the advances we've been making in the medical field."

Heather glanced at the model, studying it for only a moment. "Tony, you're a genius. But you're not a biochemist – that's why you hired me, remember? So that I could tell you important things. Like, for instance, that's a formula for perfume," she replied in a deadpan tone. She shook her head. "Look Cadmus is advanced in a lot of things, but unless you know what you're looking at, they're going to sucker you into buying something that's either A) worthless, B) not what you paid for or C) illegal. I keep telling you, if you want to be on the cutting edge of medical research, partner with Wayne Enterprises. They know what they're doing. Drake Industries, under the Wayne family umbrella, has been making amazing strides in research for cancer, diabetes, auto immune disorders – the works."

She took a long sip of coffee and then said, "I don't understand why you're so against talking with Bruce Wayne."

Tony scowled and closed all the screens holding the research, bringing up instead a screen with a newspaper headline on it. "'Wayne Honored as Gotham's White Knight'," he read aloud. "That guy fools around with every woman he can find, is filthy rich, has a successful company, and now he's being called a hero for so called humanitarian efforts."

Tony stood from the couch and stalked over to the windows overlooking New York's skyline. "Why would I ever partner with him?" he demanded, seeming to be asking the city rather than his top scientist.

Heather rolled her eyes. "Kettle, pot…" she muttered. Louder, she said, "Bruce Wayne has donated millions of dollars, and countless hours of his time to improving the lives of the less fortunate in Gotham. That's including orphans through the Grayson Fund for the Lost Children. He deserves to be honored for that."

"Oh please," Tony scoffed. "The GFLC wasn't even started by him; it was made by that first urchin kid he took in."

Heather bristled slightly at that, and her tone came across as decidedly cold as she replied, "That 'urchin kid' as you call him, is Richard Grayson and he grew into a fine young man. He's a police officer in Blϋdhaven of all places, and he does a damn good job of it."

Tony was silent for a moment before turning to look at her, suspicion written across his face. "And how, exactly, would you know that?"

Heather glanced down at her skirt, smoothing out a wrinkle before sipping her coffee. "I know that, because we're friends. We've known each other since we were children," she replied quietly.

"How did you meet?" Tony persisted, taking several steps until he stood in front of her chair. "Your parents don't run in the same circles as the Waynes."

Heather smiled slightly, unfazed. "No. However, as you know, my father has worked for _The_ _Daily Bugle_ for years – why is anyone's guess, Jameson is an asshole with a bad haircut. When I was a teenager, the Wayne Foundation put on a charity ball and Dad was asked to cover it. I tagged along when the other photographer who was supposed to come bailed. I met Dick at the party and we hit it off. We've been friends ever since."

Tony nodded slowly, "He's a bit young for you though, isn't he?" he asked pointedly, a smirk forming on his devilishly handsome face.

Heather raised an eyebrow, but was unsurprised by this question. She was often asked whether she and Dick were more than friends. "He's the same age as my brother and just as annoying. We're friends and we prefer keeping it that way. I'm failing to see the significance of this conversation. Especially when I came in here to threaten you with a lawsuit on stalking charges."

She calmly sipped her coffee as her boss chewed that over for a moment.

Before Tony could formulate a reply, the elevator dinged again and Pepper Potts walked in, tapping on a tablet in her hands. She glanced up and stopped short, looking mildly surprised. "I wasn't aware you were having a meeting with the science department today – especially, since I didn't put it on your calendar and you're incapable of scheduling your own appointments. Hello, Heather."

Heather dipped her head and raised her coffee cup slightly. "Good morning, Ms. Potts. I was just explaining to Mr. Stark about the ethical violations of spying on his employees. There was a camera bug in my office today."

"Yes there was. Because I ordered to have it put there," Pepper replied frankly.

Heather gave her a long look. "Excuse me? What did I do to deserve that?"

Pepper came to stand beside Tony as she spoke. "You've been late to work the last two weeks. You rush off for hours at a time, during which no one can contact you. Not only that, but over the last several weeks it has come to my attention that you've been pushing collaboration with Wayne Enterprises."

Heather uncrossed her legs and stood. "As I told Mr. Stark, Bruce Wayne's company _is_ the cutting edge of medical research, so why shouldn't I suggest some cooperation between our departments? I work in a very unpredictable sector of Stark Enterprises, and sometimes I have meetings or errands to run, which require that I leave quickly without time to give notice. There are other reasons, ones I'd rather not discuss out in the open, why I sometimes have to leave on short notice. You know what they are, Tony knows what they are. As for the last two weeks," she finished her drink and set it down on the table, before turning to her superiors.

"My parents have both been very busy with their own work, and my brother has been swamped with mid-terms. I was the only one available to make sure my sister gets to school on time. She's not quite old enough to travel to her school by herself, and we don't live in the district that the school buses cover."

"Why doesn't she just go to a school closer to home?" Tony asked, his usual sarcasm entering his voice.

Heather gave him an icy smile, "Because there's not a Deaf school closer to my parents' apartment. She could of course attend a regular elementary school, and eventually she may choose to go to a Hearing public school, if she wants to. She's told me, though, that she intends to get into Gallaudet University in Washington, DC, so I doubt that."

"If that's the only reason that my privacy has been violated, I think we're done here," Heather concluded, then checked her watch. "If you'll excuse me, I have an appointment to keep. I'll be out of the office for the rest of the day – you can always try my cell if there's an emergency." She turned for the elevator, but paused long enough to say, "You know, I value this job very highly. I love my work, I love the good that I'm doing here. But I think it's worth noting that you came to me Tony, not the other way around. If you don't want me anymore, there are plenty of other labs who do."

With that, she walked out of the office with her head held high. And she kept said head up until she was safely in a cab down on the street level, where she let out a big pent up breath. "God that was close," she muttered, massaging her temple.

"Where to, lady?" The taxi driver asked.

"Times Square, please," she requested. "There's a good tip in for you if you hurry."

"Yes ma'am."

Back up in the penthouse, Tony was back to staring out the window while Pepper fiddled with her tablet, checking her boyfriend's schedule.

"That seemed a bit rehearsed, didn't it?" Tony queried his hands in his pockets.

"More than a bit, if you ask me. I know I'm the one who first suggested you hire her after the stellar job she did interning here, but now I'm worried Tony. She's hiding something," Pepper said simply.

Tony pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Something other than her more… adventurous side, you mean."

"I actually think it might have to do with her adventurous side," Piper replied. "Hard to say though. We know almost everything about her. I can't even speculate about what she could still have to hide."

"I think I'll go on patrol for a while," he said abruptly, turning and walking across the room. "Jarvis!" He called out.

"Right away sir," Jarvis replied, anticipating his creator's wish. He activated the floor which caused robotic arms to sprout from the marble and begin assembling the Iron Man suit around Tony's body as he walked. "The suit is fully charged and I took the liberty of making some upgrades to your blasters and tracking vision."

"Good work, Jarvis," Tony replied as the helmet came down on his head. By this point, he was out on the building's terrace. Pepper had followed him and watched as he waited for the systems to finish booting up.

"Anything in particular you want me to do while you're gone?" Pepper called.

"As a matter of fact there is," Iron Man turned to her, the glow of his rectangular eyes matching the glow of the triangle shaped core in his chest. "Make us reservations at that restaurant you like in Manhattan for, say, six-thirty? And order their best wine." He turned back to the skyline, activated his propulsion system and flew off.

Pepper smiled. "Yes sir," she murmured.

In Times Square, Heather got out of her cab and handed the driver his fare. Once the car had pulled away, she walked to Madam Tussaud's wax museum and slipped inside the door. Striding to the front desk, she leaned over and smiled sweetly at the man working the computer.

"Hello, I'm looking for the hall of heroes? Could you give me some directions?" Heather smirked.

The man looked up and unblinking said, "Hall of heroes? What statues do you want to see?"

"I want to see the statues of Superman and Batman. They're quite the heroes, don't you think?" Heather tilted her head to the side slightly, tapping the desk softly. 1-2-3.

The man returned her smirk. "Right this way."

He came out from behind the desk and led Heather around the crowds to a back door marked 'Staff', ushering her in. Inside the small room was a table with a couple of chairs, a counter with a coffee machine, a small fridge and on the back wall was an elevator. He gave the up button a double push and stepped back.

"I trust you can find your way from here?" He lifted one eyebrow.

"Oh yes, thank you," Heather answered with another smirk.

The man nodded and left. When the elevator arrived, Heather stepped in and took out a key card from her purse, sliding it into a slot on the button panel. A palm scanner popped out and she provided her handprint for the reader. The scanner did its job and a familiar computer voice said, _Recognized. Fang A13. Please State Destination._

"The Batcave. Zero-zero-niner-alpha-victor-a-one-three," Heather declared clearly.

_Access Code Recognized. Access Granted._

"'Bout time," Heather muttered, checking her watch. Bruce was going to have a cow – she was running on ten minutes late because of traffic and that ridiculous incident in Tony's office this morning. She finally gave in to the temptation and rolled her eyes. The job paid great and the benefits were outstanding, but her boss was an ass-hat.

Within seconds, Heather was stepping into the darkness of the Batcave, the clicking of her heels echoing around the large cavern as she walked towards the main room. Batman, wearing a suit and tie rather than his uniform, sat at the batcomputer working on some case or another.

"You're late," was his dry greeting.

"Traffic," she said simply. She walked over and glanced over his shoulder at the screen. "Updating files?" she queried innocently.

"Yes. I have to keep everything recent. A hero –"

"Is only as good as their knowledge," she finished, bored already. "Yes, I know." She picked up a batarang from the table and flipped it through her fingers casually. "So, what did you want to see me about? You made it sound urgent."

"I need to be filled in," Batman replied, finishing his file and spinning around in his chair to face her.

Heather instantly knew what he meant. "No, Bruce."

"Fang, I'm not asking."

"I don't give a damn whether you're asking or not!" she snapped, beyond the end of her patience with rich, philanthropist heroes. "Dick's business is his own. You want to know how he is? Then ask him yourself. I will not be your spy, Bruce. Not now, not ever. If that's all you wanted, I'm leaving." With a vicious flick, she imbedded the batarang into the wall above the display case of her old Black Bat costume and stormed towards the cave elevator.

"Heather, I'm not asking you as Batman," Bruce called out to her retreating back, rubbing bridge of his nose. "I'm asking… as a concerned parent."

That made her pause for a moment.

She sighed, "Bruce, just pick up a phone and call. If he doesn't answer, go see him. I know that you know where he's staying. You've got to work this out between the two of you. I went through enough drama with my Dad. I won't relive it again, Bruce, I just won't."

She pressed the button for the batelevator. At least, that's what Dick often called it, because everything in Batman's world apparently had to start with 'bat-'. She stepped inside when the doors opened.

"Heather, wait!" Bruce said and hurried after her, managing to get inside the elevator before it closed. He sighed deeply when she only crossed her arms and gave him a pointed look. "I'm not trying to make you play referee. Dick is being… difficult. I just want to know he's alright."

"Then ask him! Can you really blame him for being so called 'difficult'? You said some very harsh, rash things, Bruce," Her tone softened slightly as he gave her a grieved look. "Trust is a funny thing. It takes a lifetime to build up, but just one word can tear it to shreds. It can be mended if both parties are willing to try… but someone has to take the first step."

Bruce nodded. "I know you're right."

"Of course you do," Heather half smiled as they reached the study and stepped in from behind the clock. "I'm always right."

Bruce smirked. "I did call you here for another reason," he commented, moving to his desk.

"Oh? So I'm not just here to play Dr. Phil?" she asked, following him and leaning on the oak desk as he rummaged through a drawer.

"No. I wanted to ask how things were at Stark Industries," he said, shuffling papers.

She gave a one-shoulder shrug. "Could be worse, but it's not great. I think they're on to me. Although they might just think I'm a spy from Wayne Enterprises. Hard to tell, really."

He glanced up at her from the corner of his eye. "You think they might suspect you do something other than fill out paperwork and watch _Lifetime_ movies when you're off-duty?"

"For the record, I've never watched one of those sappy movies and probably never will," She stood up fully and crossed her arms. "And yes, I'm a little worried they might. What can I do to throw them off the scent?"

"What have you told them so far?"

"Basically lied my butt off. I said that I had to take my sister to school, and when I disappear for long hours without explanation, I'm actually taking meetings and doing stuff to further the company… or you know, doing my other day job. Unfortunately, Stark isn't as much of an idiot as most people think he is, and Potts has twice the IQ he has. If they manage to put two and two together, it's bad news for more people than just me."

"That's true enough. You're so interwoven between the different divisions of superheroes on Earth, if you went down, we all could," Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose and sat behind his desk in the massive chair. "This is troubling."

"No kidding," Heather sat in one of the leather chairs in front of the desk, her arms still folded tensely. "If Stark and Potts find out I know you're secret identity, they can connect the dots between me and everyone I'm associated with – the Team, the League, the X-Men, Fantastic Four… I mean, God the list keeps going!"

"Fortunately, you do have one last ace up your sleeve should you be exposed," Bruce mused.

"And that would be?"

"You know who he is as well – not to mention all the other identities of the Avengers," he reminded her.

She shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not so sure that would be a good idea to bring up. The Avengers have just as much influence on the world as the Justice League, and while Captain America may be my hero, I'm not so sure he'll stick up for me against the rest of them. He probably doesn't even remember me – I haven't seen him in years."

"I don't know. As I recall, you made quite the impression on them, and you were only sixteen at the time. You've become even more remarkable since then," Bruce half smiled. "Even if you do have problems following orders."

Heather rolled her eyes. "How is it you can complement me, and then insult me, within a two second time span? That's got to be a record of some kind."

"Regardless, I'm sticking by my advice. Play dumb for now, but if Stark backs you into a corner, show your hand – at least enough to keep him quiet."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I'll keep it in mind."

"Good. Now, I want you to take these papers and slip them into Stark's office somehow. Get them into his hands. He needs to read this proposal, but he won't return my phone calls." Bruce handed over a thick manila envelope.

Heather glanced inside and skim read the first page. "Another partnership bid in the medical division… Didn't you already pitch this?"

He nodded. "I did. He rejected it, and instead went with Cadmus, who weren't being completely on the level with him, as you probably already know."

"The perfume formulas? Yeah, I saw. They fancied up the equations, but I knew what they were just by looking at the algorithms. Cadmus is amazing in the tech field, but still, they haven't been completely on the level since that agreement with Luthor. But, why do you want me to deliver them? Won't that raise suspicions? They might think I work for you… or at least that I still do," she gave him a didn't-we-just-cover-this look.

"I didn't say hand them to him personally. I said get them into his hands. I don't care how you do it. I just want him to actually consider my offer. With a partnership like this, we would be even closer to curing diseases like cancer and the HIV virus. The world needs this agreement, even if Stark doesn't want to admit it," Bruce sat back in his chair, his eyes sliding to an old photo of his father standing with Leslie Tompkins.

"It's not really that he doesn't want to help the world… he just doesn't want to do it with you," Heather replied, shrugging. "He doesn't buy the philanthropist story any more than you buy his. You know, you two are a lot more alike than you may think."

A light batglare only brought on a smirk in return from her.

"Regardless, you have to make him consider it," he said after a moment, finally relinquishing his glare.

"You do know this might get me fired, right? What am I supposed to do then? Not all of us are born billionaires you know. That income doesn't just support Heather Parker's expenses – it also lines the pockets of Fang and pays for all her toys and equipment," she said, doubt making her forehead wrinkle slightly.

"You could always come and work for Wayne Tech," Bruce offered. "You know I'd be happy to have your expertise."

"You don't think that would look suspicious? Being fired from Stark's company after pushing an agreement with Wayne Enterprises, only to be hired by you – the press would cry sex scandal or something equally ridiculous," Heather disputed, shaking her head.

"To be fair, you've grown into a lovely woman so I couldn't blame them," Bruce said teasingly.

She stuck out her tongue at him. "I'm being serious."

"In that case, in all seriousness, you are more than welcome to come work for me," he said. "You've always had that door opened to you, even if you have never taken it as a real option."

"Honestly, I never thought it could be," Heather frowned more deeply at the file in her hands. "Tony didn't just give me a job. He paid my way through school, offered me first an internship and then this position in his biochemical division of his science department. Granted, he did it to annoy my father for the most part, and the thousands he spent on my education were probably mere drops in the ocean when compared to how much he spends on cars every year. Still…"

"You feel guilty turning your back on him," Bruce guessed.

She nodded. "I hate taking advantage of people, you know that. Going to another company after everything he's done for me? It just feels like such a slap in the face."

"Not if he's violating your contract and pushing his way into your private life," He argued.

Heather pursed her lips, but didn't respond.

Eventually, Bruce sighed in defeat. "Alright. I won't push you to do something you don't want to – if you want to stick with Stark, I won't stop you. Just do me this one favor and get that file into his hands somehow. That's all I ask."

She nodded. "I'll do my best."

Bruce hummed in response, knowing that was the best he would get out of her. "By the way, I have an assignment for you, if you're willing to work on it."

"Why can't you do it yourself, or ask Barbara?" Heather tilted her head.

"It's something we can't be connected to," he explained. "Being so closely associated with the JLA can have its disadvantages. If word got out that I was looking into this…" he shook his head. "The repercussions would be disastrous."

"But since I'm a freelance super with very loose connections to the League, I can investigate where you can't," Heather finished. "Is that about right?"

"Yes."

"So basically I'm expendable, but you guys aren't," She added flatly.

"You have a terrible habit of putting words in my mouth," He said getting up and unlocking a filing cabinet, pulling out a middle drawer. He gripped a file in the back and brought it to the table. He slid it across to her. "I feel the need to warn you. I strongly suspect someone very powerful is behind these incidents." He paused before eventually releasing his grip.

She studied his face. "You're worried."

Bruce dipped his chin. "Others have tried to look into this." He didn't finish the thought, but then again, he didn't have to.

Heather nodded. "I understand." She picked up the second file and put both into her work bag she'd grabbed before leaving the office. "I better get back to the city." She got up and headed towards the batelevator.

His voice stopped her just before she stepped inside.

"Be careful, Heather."

She turned and smiled. "I always am." Then she disappeared.


	31. What Was Lost

_AN: Wow, this feels like it took forever to write. I know, it's been more than month since my last update, but there's been some weird stuff going down in my world. I've hardly had time to write anything :( _

_I do have a question for you guys though, if you'd be so kind. Some of you may be familiar with my PJO story "That's My Seaweed Brain" (you know, the one that's been on hiatus for over a year? *blushies*). Well, I've been thinking that maybe it's time to dust it off and work on it again, but with a different twist. Honestly, I've completely lost the train of thought I was following for it, and my plot was never going to be as good as the real MOA. So, instead, how would you – my fellow demigods – feel if I converted the story into a series of one-shots, some connected and some not, some fluffy, some serious, etc? Please let me know by voting on the new poll on my profile, or tell me in a comment below._

_Without further ado, read on! ^_^_

**What a Web We Weave**

**31) What Was Lost**

Heather yawned as she made coffee in her tiny apartment's kitchen. Gray early morning light was filtering through the windows, highlighting the brownstone buildings of her neighborhood on the East Side.

It was Saturday, which fortunately meant she didn't have to work. Today, she was planning a lazy day in watching movies, catching up on paperwork, and generally lying around on the sofa.

As she was pouring the coffee into her favorite red mug, there was a knock on her door. She frowned, glancing at the clock. _Who would be coming to see me this early in the morning? _She wondered.

Thankful that she was at least wearing sweatpants and a semi-decent t-shirt and hoodie, she padded over and looked through the peephole. Her frown deepened as she saw not one, not two, but eight people in the hallway.

"What the –?" she muttered under her breath.

Curious, she made sure the chain lock was on before cracking open the door. "Yes? Can I help you?" she asked, keeping her body at an angle to where it blocked any view into her apartment.

"Heazher! Zhank god, ve've been looking everyvhere for you!" A tall young man with blue hair and unusual hazel and yellow eyes exclaimed.

Heather blinked back uncertainly. "Um… looking for me?" she asked, bemused.

"I've tried calling you, but he must've blocked your number," Another boy said, this one slightly shorter and younger, with messy black hair. What she really didn't understand was that he was – for some reason – wearing sunglasses inside.

"Blocked my…?" Now Heather was really confused. She furrowed her forehead.

"We've been really worried," a young woman chimed in. She had long black hair, elfin features and piercing blue eyes.

"And _someone_," a tall blond woman cut in, elbowing the younger man next to her who had his head down and a hood pulled up to hide his face, "Would like to say something to you. Go on, Jason, tell her."

"Alright already!" Jason protested. He looked up, revealing black hair with a streak of white and piercing green eyes. He shifted on his feet as Heather stared at them, still trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

"Look, I… I'm really sorry, Heather. I screwed up – big time. You stuck your neck out for me, and I didn't take it seriously like I should have. You risked a lot, and I was just an arrogant little snot about it. I got careless, and cocky. I wouldn't listen when you told me to think about what I was doing. I want to try to make it up to you, if I can," Jason gave a small smirk, making his eyes twinkle. "So? Am I forgiven?"

"Please say he is," A red haired man cut in, sniffing the air experimentally. "I smell your famous French Roast blend brewing. I could really use a boost of caffeine – Artemis made me run us here from Palo Alto," he jerked a thumb at the blonde next to him.

Artemis scowled in response, though her eyes sparkled playfully. "Me? Wally you _wanted _to run so we could pick up waffles on the way!"

"Waffles are an amazing gift from the universe," Wally replied seriously.

The bulky, black haired man standing in the back next to another red haired girl raised one eyebrow. "What are waffles?"

Wally looked appalled. "Megan, you've never made Conner _waffles_? That's sacrilege!"

The auburn haired girl – Megan apparently – frowned. "I guess I must've missed those in the cookbook Uncle John got me. I'll try making some later."

"Guys, seriously," the athletic guy in the sunglasses said, shaking his head. "Can we focus here? There are more important things at stake than waffles."

"I don't know," the blue haired boy replied. "Vaffles are pretty amazing, Dick."

Dick (was that a real name?) seemed to be rolling his eyes. "Not now, Kurt."

"I'm with Kurt," the dark hair girl said with a smile. "I think waffles are pretty asterous – don't you Dick?"

Dick's mouth twitched. "Zatanna we don't have time for this."

"Aw, but I like when we have versations," Zatanna grinned.

Heather squeezed her eyes shut tight. Why did her head hurt so much all of a sudden? Who were these people? Why were they here? What did they want?

"Look," she interrupted, shaking her head. "I'm sure you're all very nice people, but I don't know who you are or why you're here. Obviously, you've confused me with someone else. So, can you please just," she grunted as pain spiked in her head once more. "Ugh, just go away!"

Quickly she shut the door and locked the deadbolt, leaning her forehead on the wood._ Dizzy… why am I dizzy?_ She thought, breathing heavy. Her mug slipped unbidden from her fingers, shattering on the hardwood, coffee spattering everywhere. _What's – what's happening to me?_

Heather staggered backwards, clutching her head while ignoring the cries and banging coming from the door. The back of her legs hit the coffee table. Thrown off balance, she tripped and fell to the living room floor. Groaning, her vision swam in and out of focus, and she could hardly tell what was real and what wasn't.

Like, did that blue haired guy, Kurt, just suddenly appear in a puff of smoke? Was he really leaning over her now, trying to talk to her through the ringing in her ears? Did that big dude, Conner, break down her door like it was tissue paper?

Heather squeezed her eyes shut. _Why_ did her head _hurt _so much? Maybe if she just rested for a moment…

YJxYJxYJ

"Is she okay?" Kurt fretted, rubbing circles on the back of his girlfriend's limp hand. "Do you know vhat's vrong yet?"

Zatanna frowned at him. "No, and frankly if you ask one more time, I'm zapping you to Paraguay. Now shush, I can't concentrate." She closed her eyes and took up her spell again from where she stood at the end of Heather's bed.

M'gann floated opposite Kurt at Heather's side, her eyes glowing as she tried to read her friend's mind. "I can't be sure," she murmured, "but something seems to be blocking Heather's memories – suppressing them. Maybe that's why she said she didn't know us."

"Then unblock them!" Jason snapped from where he was pacing the living room.

M'gann frowned. "It's not that simple. If I try to force my way in, I could do permanent brain damage. She might lose all her memories completely. Or worse."

"What could be worse than that?" Artemis asked miserably, sitting beside Wally on the futon.

Wally pulled her closer, kissing her forehead. "She could go into shock, or even a vegetative state. The lights would be on, but with nobody home. She could even die," he told her quietly.

That sobered everyone up quickly.

Nightwing was sitting at the table, fiddling with his wrist computer. "I just don't understand it. Why wouldn't she remember us? What could anyone have to gain from making her forget?"

"Vell, she is very vell connected in our vorld – she knows just about every super hero out zhere," Kurt commented, brushing a lock of Heather's auburn hair out of her face.

"Even so, how would anyone know that she was? They'd have to know her civilian identity and connect it to 'Fang'," Conner frowned, clearly frustrated from where he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. "Heather covers her tracks too well to let that happen."

"Obviously something happened to her in the past two weeks to make her forget," Wally said, waving a hand around. "That was the last time Artemis and I heard from her. Anyone else?"

"Ditto," Zatanna answered, her eyes still closed.

"Yep," Conner added.

"Uh huh."

"Yeah."

"Yes, somewhere around then."

"Sounds about right."

"And we all know why we hadn't seen her for the past month before _that_," Artemis added, glaring at the Red Hood.

Jason narrowed his eyes. "I already said I was sorry, Blondie, don't expect me to say it again."

"Of course not. Not like you can ever admit you're wrong," Dick muttered.

Jason's one hand tightened into a fist while the other inched towards where he carried a nine mil. "Keep that beak of yours shut, bird boy. I have no problems with ripping you a new one. I don't owe you any favors."

"Nope, you don't," Dick agreed bitingly. "But you sure as hell owe Heather a few."

Jason dropped his hands in surprise, only to turn away from his half-brother angrily. "You don't know the first thing about it, so don't act like you do. It's between me and Heather. Nobody else… not even Batman," he finished quietly.

Not quietly enough for Conner's ears though. "What about Batman?"

"Nothing!" Dick and Jason said at the same time, raising a few eyebrows from the others.

"Dick, I thought you promised no more secrets between us," Zatanna said after finishing her spell. She appeared irritated, though it was hard to tell exactly what from – the conversation or the results of her magic.

Dick sighed, taking off his sunglasses and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Heather was given an assignment by Batman about two and a half weeks ago. He needed someone with good detective skills who could investigate quietly without raising too many alarms, so he asked her as a favor."

"Why not ask us? That's what Young Justice is supposed to be about. Covert missions. Stuff the League can't look into publicly," Conner protested.

"There are some missions that even we can't accomplish. From what I read of Batman's notes, this was something that would require going deep undercover… way deep," Nightwing stared at Heather with a mixture of doubt and worry.

"You think that's why she's been MIA?" Artemis' forehead wrinkled.

"And why her brain is saying access denied?" Wally added.

"It's the most likely cause," Dick admitted, perching his sunglasses back on his nose. "I can't think of any other reason or way that someone could have messed with her mind otherwise."

"I'll say this much, it wasn't done by magic," Zatanna informed them sighing. "I couldn't do anything to reverse whatever did this."

"You mean 'whoever' did this," M'gaan replied, her eyes returning to their natural color and they didn't look happy. "I can feel that the block was caused by another psychic – very powerful, very experienced."

"Psimon?" Conner's frown deepened.

His girlfriend shook her head. "No. Someone else. I've never encountered this psychic before, but they're good."

"If you ever met with them in person, could you recognize their – you know – mind signature thingy?" Wally prompted, waving his hands around.

Megan nodded. "Absolutely."

"If she can do that, then we can get them to undo whatever they did to Heather's brain," Zatanna thought out loud.

"And we can kick their butts for doing it," Artemis grinned in anticipation.

"Ve can also find out exactly vhat kind of mission Batman sent Heazher on vizhout backup," Kurt put in, speaking up for the first time in several minutes.

"Sounds like a plan!" M'gaan enthused, pumping her fist.

Nightwing tapped his computer screen for another second before closing it. "I finished checking Heather's security cameras. They're all in place and fully functional. In order to do this efficiently, we'll split into two teams." He stood and rolled his neck, rubbing it to relieve some of the tension there. "The alpha team will go to see Batman – he's on monitor duty on the Watchtower. We'll try to get some answers out of him about this secret mission, but it won't be easy. The beta team will stay here and question Heather when she wakes up, see if we can coax her to remember anything about the last two weeks. Any leads you glean, follow up on them immediately. However, we should leave at least one person with her, so she's not alone and vulnerable to another attack."

"Agreed," Wally stood and pulled a ring out of his pocket. With a whirl of wind and a flash of bright colors, he changed into his costume. When he was done, he pulled down his goggles and smiled at Artemis, flexing his bicep.

Artemis shook her head and grabbed her backpack from her feet, heading to Heather's bathroom to change.

"Tup em ni ym mrofinu!" Zatanna declared, smoke wrapping around her figure then dissipating a moment later. The spell had changed her clothes into her magician's outfit. "How do we decide who stays with Heather and who goes to see Batman?" she asked.

"It would be best if we left someone with mind reading abilities here," Nightwing suggested.

"Guess that means me," M'gaan said with a smile. "I'll do everything I can to break the mental block in Heather's mind, but I can only do so much. It would be safer if it was done by the psychic who put the suppressant there in the first place."

"Understood," Nightwing agreed.

"I'll stay too," Red Hood said, speaking for the first time. The others gave him several distrustful looks. He sighed. "I'd rather deal with a Heather that doesn't remember me, than Batman. Besides I make a pretty good body guard, and since I don't think the blue demon is going anywhere, you'll need one."

Kurt lifted his head and frowned. "Nein, he's right. I von't leave Heazher's side. I vant to be here vhen she regains her memories."

"Fair enough," Dick agreed. "Can you stay as well?" He asked Artemis as she reappeared, now wearing her suit. "That will leave five of you here, including Heather, and four of us to go to the Watchtower."

"Fine by me," Artemis replied.

The others nodded in agreement.

"Alright, let's get moving," Superboy told them, heading for the door. Zatanna and Kid Flash followed, Nightwing held back for a second.

"Promise me you won't get them into trouble?" He said quietly to Jason, so most of the others wouldn't hear.

Jason glared at him. "I don't have to promise anything, especially not to you."

"Then promise it to her," Dick pointed towards Heather, who mumbled something under her breath and scrunched her forehead, like she was having a bad dream. "You owe her. She vouched for you against the Justice League to keep you out of prison, with her reputation on the line. Without her, you wouldn't be here right now. You owe her everything."

Jason's hand gripped the handle of his nine mil again, then a moment later sighed and released it. "Yeah, I know. I'll keep her safe – her and the others," he added reluctantly.

Dick held his gaze. "I'm holding you to that," he promised. Speaking up to address the rest of his team, he said, "We'll rendezvous later – keep your comm. lines open, in case of an emergency. We have no idea what we're getting into right now, but if it's what led to Heather being like this," his eyes narrowed and he frowned, a very mild form of his personal _batglare_. "I don't want a repeat performance, understood?"

Everyone agreed, and the Alpha team moved out.

_AN: *Whew* Not the longest chapter I've done by far, but it still felt like it took an eternity to finish! Anyhoo, remember to vote on the new PJO poll people! As usual, any reviews, comments or questions are more than welcome ^_^ Until next time!_

_PS – Be sure and check out the latest episode of my show 'Rae Reviews' on my you tube channel:_

_ .com (slash) user (slash) Roserae16_


	32. Stories of the Past

_AN: So, I was planning on waiting until after I had finished "The Legacy of a Hero" to do this chapter for W4, but I really wanted to write this out and put it up. Spoilers ahead - you have been warned. There will be another chapter up before this weekend is over for this story, and possibly for TLH as well. Please vote in the poll on my profile if you haven't already, oh and before I forget, I'm on Pintrest now as well as my youtube channel :) If you're interested in following me, or want me to follow you, you can look me up under the same username as here. Happy reading!_

**What a Web We Weave**

**32) Stories of the Past**

"Do you ever wonder what your life would be like, if you had chosen differently?"

This question came so abruptly, that Heather's fingers paused on the keyboard from typing her essay long enough to look up at Dick. He was sitting opposite her at the tiny kitchen table in her apartment. They were both working on school assignments. His was a history paper that he'd already finished, hers was a science paper that was due at the university within the week.

"Excuse me?" Heather asked, one eyebrow cocked. "Chosen what differently?"

"You know," he shrugged, waving his hand expansively as he leaned back in his seat, which he was seated on backwards. "The whole superhero thing. Do you ever wonder what you would have done, had you picked a different path?"

"Why the sudden philosophical questions?" Heather asked instead of answering.

He narrowed his baby blue eyes at her, clearly seeing this, but choosing to ignore it for the moment. "Call it curiosity," he said. "I guess I've just been thinking about what our lives would be like with out the capes and masks. Would I have ever met any of you guys?"

"You mean the team," she clarified. "More than likely no," she speculated, "After all, that's how we met - through the job. Same with most of the others, as far as I can tell. Without that, we probably would never have an excuse to meet each other. I mean, maybe the two of us still would have met because of the banquet, but everyone else? I doubt it."

He nodded. "If Bruce had been exactly what he pretends to be - millionaire, philanthropist, playboy - and not the Batman, but still took me in... Who would that make me?"

"A spoiled but lovable kid with tons of money and not enough ways to spend it?" Heather suggested, pulling back from her laptop to fold her arms across her midsection. She stared out the window.

Dick grinned a little, "I think I'd do just fine finding ways to spend money. What about you?"

Heather shrugged, still looking out the window. "Dunno. No point in thinking about it."

"Why is that?"

She shot him a look he couldn't discern and sighed heavily. "If I had never gained powers, that would probably mean my father would either be still be alive, or not exist at all. Which means I probably wouldn't exist. Therefore, it's not worth thinking about."

"You never have explained that to me completely," Dick pointed out. He stood up and opened the fridge, which he honestly could have done while still sitting, the kitchen/nook area was that small. He dug around for a few moments before pulling out two bottles of soda. "The whole 'Spiderman is my dad, but not really' thing." He put one bottle in front of her, then opened the second for himself and took a swig, leaning against the countertop.

Now Heather was definitely glaring. "I thought we agreed that was on a need-to-know basis? Like the whole 'my parents died when I was young' thing."

Dick pursed his mouth. "Well, at this point I know you're not going to kill me, kidnap me, or hold my secret idenity over my head. I'd be okay with telling you the gory details, if you tell me yours."

"What about Bats?"

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

The playful smile was back. She had to admit, there was something charming as well as unsettling about that smile. The crooked tilt, the way Dick's eyes twinkled - no wonder Zatanna was so head over heels. The boy was bound to break many a heart the older he got.

"So c'mon, can't be that bad," He encouraged.

Heather sipped her soda. "You first."

Dick shrugged, his eyes sad though he was still smiling slightly. "Mom, Dad, and I were in Haley's Circus together; along with my uncle, aunt, and cousin. We were trapeze artists. One day, we came to Gotham for a show. This guy, Tony Zucco, tried to threaten Mr. Haley into giving him protection money, but Pop Haley refused. Zucco promised there would be consequences. He sabotaged our act, and my family fell. The only reason I survived was because I hesitated to grab my Mom's hands. My cousin lived too, for awhile. He was in a coma for several years before he passed away. I'm the only surviving member of the Flying Grayson's."

Heather bit her lip, shook her head. "I'm so sorry."

"Thanks, but there's nothing anyone can do. I miss them every day, but at least I know that they got justice. Batman and Robin caught Zucco. He's serving a quadruple life sentence, plus one count of manslaughter for my cousin. He'll never see freedom again. It's not much, but it's enough for me," Dick smiled again, this time it reached his eyes. "Your turn."

Heather inhaled deeply. "My Dad's name was Ben Reilly. He was a clone of Peter Parker. Peter had something of a midlife crisis, and decided to take off to be Spiderman full time. At that point, he thought he was the clone and didn't know what to do otherwise. Basically, he didn't feel right pretending to be someone he wasn't. Ben had fallen in love with Mary Jane, so they made a deal. Ben would become Peter - live his life - and Peter would become Ben and Spiderman. For awhile, it worked out. Mom had no idea, which sucks on so many levels it's not even funny, but she and Dad were happy. They got married. I was born, and the first four years of my life were amazing."

Dick had sat down at the table again. "I hear a 'but' coming."

"But," Heather supplied, rubbing her eyes. "The Sinister Six reformed, because they all wanted revenge on Spiderman. Dad still worked for The Bugle, so they came after him because he knew how to contact Spiderman. They used me as leverage. Dad wanted to go after them, but Peter said he could handle it. Dad couldn't leave things to chance - figured that two Spidermen were better than one. He came to rescue me, and we both ended up in trouble, I guess."

"You guess?" Dick frowned, furrowing his brow. He slid his hand forward to cover hers.

Heather shook her head miserably, but squeezed his hand back appreciatively. "I can't remember. Like, literally cannot remember. My Dad died that night, so to quote 'spare me pain', Spiderman forced Dr. Strange to lock my memories of that night away. I can't access them at all. After that, Peter took Dad's place. For whatever reason, Mom couldn't tell the difference. I guess she was too excited over being pregnant with my brother." Heather sighed and wiped her eyes, "Gory enough for you?"

"Hey," Dick got up and crouched beside her chair. "I'm not going to say that everything's going to be okay, because we both know that's a load of bull and doesn't mean anything. But it is okay to cry, if you need to. Bruce and Alfred know just how much crying I've done over the last five or six years. I'll always be here for you, the way they were for me."

Heather gave a watery smile, her cheeks glistened in the late afternoon light. "For a troll and a giant pain in the ass, you might just be the coolest fourteen year old kid I've ever met," she said, chuckling.

"I try," Dick grinned crookedly again.

Heather leaned down and wrapped her arms around his neck, while his held her tight. "Thanks, Dick."

"Any time, Heather."


	33. Jason, Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

_AN: Did I say 'this weekend'? I meant next weekend. As in this one. Right here, that just passed us. I've kind of forgotten how to tell the days of the week, in case it wasn't obvious :P_

_To answer a few guests who have reviewed and asked this, Heather and Dick are friends – they will never be romantically involved, because they see each other as siblings. Same thing with Jason and Heather, no canon shipping for them. Sorry if that bothers you, but I don't see them that way, and they don't see themselves that way._

_Anyway... I also fully realize this fad is basically over, but I've wanted to do this chapter for a while and so here it is. Keep the tissues handy. You've been warned._

_PS – There have only been two votes on my profile poll. Will someone please provide a swing vote so I can finally decide what to do with "That's My Seaweed Brain" and move on with my life? Pretty please? No? Eh, whatever. You're the ones who won't get an update, and that at least I can guarantee._

**What a Web We Weave**

**33) Jason, Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?**

Jason sighed and flipped the page of his comic book. He just didn't understand it. Why did she always take_ his_ side? Heather followed Batman's rules and orders like a loyal soldier. Barbara wasn't much better, but with Heather, it just stung more.

Heather was his best friend, basically his only friend around here. Instead of backing him up when he really needed her, she tells him that Bruce is right.

_You messed up. I know it happens, but you have to accept the consequences of your actions. That's how life works,_ Heather told him, wearing that stupid look she got when she was trying to be serious and stern. Her 'I'm an adult, and you have to listen to me' face.

It pissed him off every time. She was, after all, only about six years older than him. She wasn't an adult. Hell, she was barely a grown-up! But with the way she acted sometimes, it was like she was forty or something.

Jason was sitting on the window seat, and he glanced outside. It was still snowing. There were soft piles of the white stuff several inches high across the roof, and the yard was now covered in a thick carpet of it.

When he was living on his own, he'd hated the winter. This time of year was brutal when you only had the coat on your back, and nowhere warm to sleep at night. However, he had to admit from here, wrapped in a blanket and with a secure roof over his head, it was kind of pretty to look at. Kind of.

"_Jason?"_ A familiar female voice called through his closed door.

*Knock, knock, knock-knock, knock*

"_Hey, do you wanna build a snowman?"_

Jason frowned at the door, and turned his eyes down to his comic. He was not talking to Heather. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

There was a short sigh, then a pleading, _"Oh, c'mon let's go and play! I never see you anymore. Please come out the door. It's like you've gone away."_

"No duh," Jason muttered under his breath.

"_We used to beat up bad guys, and have some laughs… I wish you would give me another chance." _There was a pause, like she was waiting for his response. He could picture her on the either side of the door, leaning close to the wood, straining her ears for his response.

After another moment, Heather asked again, _"Do you wanna build a snowman?" _A teasing tone came to her voice, and he could see her smirk in his head,_ "We could even make it look like Batman."_

Jason sighed. "Go away, Heather!" He shouted at her.

A beat of silence, then her defeated voice replied, _"Okay, bye…"_

Her footsteps, soft as a whisper on the plush carpet of the mansion, retreated.

When the sound died, Jason tried to focus on his comic again. But no matter what he did, he couldn't get back into the story. He threw it at the wall in frustration, and rubbed his eyes. How did she always manage to make him feel guilty, even when he didn't want to? What was it about Heather that could drive him to utter distraction?

Sure, she was hot. Impossibly, ridiculously hot. Heather's uniform helped of course, but even without it, she looked incredible in nothing but jeans and a shirt. If he was being honest with himself, which wasn't always the case, it _was_ more than that.

She was so sincere about everything, willing to help anyone out… even a loser like him. What really got to him was when she thought no one was around. When she was alone – or she thought she was, and it was damn near impossible to sneak up on her – she just kind of deflated. Every muscle relaxed, allowing every emotion she held back throughout the day to come out, and the results were… sad.

So incredibly sad.

It made his heart ache to see the pain in her eyes. He didn't ever want to see it there. He really did hate disappointing her. But sometimes she just made him so angry, he couldn't help being bitter. It was in his nature.

He glanced out the window. Down below, he could see Barbara, Dick and Heather playing in the snow like little kids. Babs was creating a snow angel, Dick looked like he was building up an arsenal of snowballs for a fight, and sure enough Heather was making a snowman like she'd said.

It did look like fun…

Jason growled to himself and got up from his seat. He turned on his Xbox and waited for it to boot up. Who made snowmen after high school anyway?

SnowmenxSnowmenxSnowmen

"Come on, Heather! The snow won't last forever!" Dick called up to her from the bottom of the staircase.

Heather stumbled out of her room, hopping to pull on her boot. "Coming!"

"Hurry up," Dick answered. The front door opened and shut, signaling his exit from the house.

"Global warming isn't going to turn the yard into a pool in five minutes," Heather muttered. "The snow can wait for shoes." She gave the boot a final tug and sighed, satisfied.

She trotted down the hall, passing Jason's closed door. She paused and looked back, frowning. It had been two weeks since Jason had decided none of them were worth speaking to anymore, and had sequestered himself in his room. He was steamed with Bruce, sure, but he seemed really irritated with Heather as well.

What was she supposed to do? Bruce was right. Jason was getting reckless. He'd nearly gotten Barbara killed. A little time off from the field would do Jason good. More one-on-one training, also a good thing. Dick hanging around the mansion… okay, maybe not such a good thing. Not like she could help it that Dick had decided to spend his winter vacation at home. Nor could she help that he and Jason mixed about as well as potassium and water – with explosive results.

Heather wished everyone could get along. She had enough drama being at her parents' house. She didn't need it here too, but she didn't know what to do to make this right. Jason wouldn't even talk to her.

She bit her lip. It wouldn't hurt to ask again. Maybe he'd changed his mind, and he'd come out in the fresh powder that had fallen overnight.

*Knock, knock, knock-knock, knock*

"Jason? Do you wanna build a snowman?" Heather shifted on her feet, "Or we could ride your bike around town?"

No response.

Heather sighed, frustrated. "I think some company is overdue! I've started talking to the portraits in the halls – hang in there Mr. and Mrs. Wayne!" She tried to joke, biting her lip when she was met with silence.

"It gets a little lonely," she admitted, "That big empty cave. Just watching the hours tick by," she imitated a clock ticking.

"Sooo? Do you wanna build a snowman? We could pick on Babs, Dick or Batman."

"_Go away, Heather."_ It was the only reply she'd gotten the last couple of weeks, no matter what she tried.

Heather banged her forehead on Jason's door. "Jason!" She sighed, "Please, don't shut me out again. Please don't keep slamming the door. You don't have to be alone anymore. For the first time in forever, I'm not sure I completely understand. For the first time in forever, you might need someone to take your hand. We can work this out together, you don't have to live alone in there," she paused, "And you know… I'll be right here."

Nothing. Not a sound.

Heather shook her head. She stepped away and trotted downstairs.

Fine. If he wanted to be mopey and angry, that was fine. She was taking this nice day for some relaxation. Bruce told her last night that Joker was on the loose again. With no leads, he'd advised her to take the day off, despite her protests, while he tried to get information on what the serial killer was up to. Hopefully, they'd find him and put him back in Arkham before someone got killed.

SnowmenxSnowmenxSnowmen

"Stay here!" Batman ordered again.

"But-" Black Bat protested. She was already wearing her uniform.

"No. I won't let that psychopath near any of you. You're not to touch this case, under any circumstances. Am I clear?"

Black Bat sighed and pulled off her cowl. "Crystal."

Batman nodded. "As you know, Barbara is out of Gotham surveying colleges, and Nightwing is away on assignment. I need you here on the monitors. You're my eyes and ears. Don't let me down."

"Right," Black Bat replied. Her eyes slid to the elevator. "What about…?"

"Keep him out of trouble. I don't want him within a hundred feet of this case."

"Bats, it's, I mean – this is his mom we're talking about. Jason's not going to let this go that easily," Heather's forehead wrinkled.

"Our information is unconfirmed. It might not be Jason's mother. Even so, you know how he is. He's too emotionally invested in this. Keep him here. Don't let him out of your sight. Hopefully I'll have more information by morning," Batman climbed lithely into the Batmobile and sped out.

"This is going to be a looong night," Heather muttered, sitting at the Batcomputer.

Hours later the coffee had long ago grown cold and her legs were going numb. Heather stared at the monitor, practically asleep sitting up. Other than an occasional update from Batman, there'd been nothing. The police chatter was quiet – which was weird, but not unheard of. Even the criminals of Gotham seemed to take time off when it was this flipping cold outside.

Heather sighed, pulling the blanket Alfred had brought tighter around her shoulders, but she still felt chilled. The cave was secure, sure, and in the summer when the heat was almost unbearable outside, it was cool enough for training and work. Now, however, the drafty cave was liable to give Heather pneumonia.

She shook her head and pulled off her earpiece, laying it on the console. She needed a break. The exercise, and a bit more coffee, would help wake her up. Alfred, bless him, knew her habits well by now and had brewed a fresh batch upstairs in the kitchen, before retiring for the night.

Heather barely held back a yawn as she took the stairs up to the mansion, foregoing the elevator.

It was a decision she would come to regret for the rest of her life.

SnowmenxSnowmenxSnowmen

Jason slid into the elevator and waited impatiently. He had to be fast. If Heather caught him, he'd be sent back upstairs and the batcave would be locked down. Despite great effort on his part, he just wasn't as tech-savvy as Dick – much as it pained him to admit that. He wouldn't be able to override the codes, not before Batman returned at least, and then he'd really never be able to do anything.

They just didn't understand. This was Mom! She might be alive. He could fix everything between them. He could get her help, take care of her in ways he hadn't been able to as a kid. He could finally make amends. He could _finally_ redeem himself and set everything right.

The doors slid open, and Jason cautiously looked around. No one was there, which was good but also weird. He knew Bruce had left hours ago, and Heather was supposed to be down here monitoring his progress as well as digging for leads. He listened carefully. The only sounds were the quiet hum of electronics and the occasional screech of a bat from overhead.

Jason decided to chance it and dashed out of the elevator. In no time flat, he was in uniform and grabbing his helmet, hurrying to his bike. He was just about to straddle it when something sticky and hard as steel spread across his cape, clinging fast.

He looked over his shoulder and found Heather frowning at him, a cup of coffee in her other hand as she held the webline attached to him.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked. Her tone surprised him. She wasn't angry – she sounded tired and… worried?

"I'm saving my Mom, that's what I'm doing," Jason retorted, tugging on his cape but the webbing didn't release him. He knew it wouldn't. He wanted, no needed, her to let go so he could get out of the cave before Bruce returned.

"Jason…" Heather's eyes were sad, her mouth still frowning.

"No!" He snapped, pulling out his knife and slicing through the webbing in one fluid movement. "You can't keep me here. She needs me. I have to do this!"

"Jason it might not be your mom!" She pleaded, "Please don't go running off like this. Joker is liable to do anything. I won't let you get hurt." She put her coffee down on the computer console and hurried over as he mounted his bike. She grabbed the handles, using all of the strength she usually kept in check to hold the motorcycle in place. The metal groaned beneath her fingers but she didn't let up.

Jason cried in frustration, shoving her shoulders, which barely made her budge. "You don't understand!" He screamed. "I thought my Mom was dead – but I can help her now. I can get her into rehab and take care of her. You don't understand –"

He flinched when her stare turned deadly cold. "I don't understand? What exactly don't I understand? My father died trying to save me – and I had no idea until over a decade later. I would give anything to go back to that night. Don't you dare tell me, I don't understand!" She yelled.

"Then let me go!" Jason begged, his voice still angry even as tears glistened in his eyes. "Let me make things right. Let me have this chance."

Heather shook her head. "If you saving this woman – whether she is your mom or not – means losing you, then I can't do that. Please," she added, "Get off the bike and take off your suit. You can help me with the computer. Batman is doing everything he can to find Joker. Let him handle this…"

Jason looked like still wouldn't move. "Don't make me paralyze you," she said softly. "You know I will if I have to."

He drew back slightly, staring at her mouth now with obvious caution. His forehead wrinkled, conflicted as he glanced at her hands that were still gripping the handlebars and the exit to the cave. His mouth was a tight line as he exhaled sharply through the nose and climbed off the bike, stepping backwards several steps.

Heather relaxed her grip, internally wincing as the metal groaned. The handles were now dented with the impression of her fingers. Bruce would probably take that out of her pay check.

Jason was glaring at the row of display cases that held their costumes, his arms crossed. She approached slowly, and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. He shrugged her off.

Heather shook her head. "You're lucky I'm not locking you out of the cave completely." She ignored his snort as she returned to the computer and sat down, typing in the password to wake the system back up. "You can help me search through the leads I've dug up on the computer, if you want. Or, there's always the simulator, if you feel like hitting something… something other than me that is," she added.

He didn't say anything.

Heather tried not to roll her eyes. "Jason, the silent treatment is a little childish, don't you think?"

Her answer came in the form of a motorcycle roaring to life.

Heather whipped her head around and leaped out of her seat. Jason had somehow silently remounted the bike, put on his helmet, and started the engine without her noticing. _Where is that damn spider sense when you need it?!_ She thought bitterly as Jason roared down the runway towards the door.

"Jason! Jason, come back!" Heather yelled, dashing after him. "Jason!"

Jason activated the nitrogen boost in his engine, flames roaring from the pipes on the back as he zoomed forward. Heather's eyes widened, watching as he disappeared down the tunnel and around the corner. There was no way she could catch him now.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! _She thought. _Why didn't I tried to web him before he was out of reach? I should have sent him back upstairs!_

She ran over to the computer and tried to hail his communicator, then frowned when she heard a faint beeping noise. She glanced around, finding the little earpiece lying on the concrete where Jason had thrown it after ripping it from his helmet.

"Damn it, Jason!" She yelled, barely restraining herself from punching the billion dollar computer console. She typed furiously and pulled up the GPS locator on Jason's bike. The red dot blipped steadily on the screen, winding down the road on the map away from the mansion and towards Gotham proper.

"Gotcha," Heather muttered. "You are _so dead_ when I catch you!" She dashed off to grab her uniform.

She was dressed in under three minutes, which had to be a record, considering all the armor and extra pieces this suit required when compared to her old one. It was not fast enough, though. By the time she returned to the console to sync Jason's tracking information with her wrist computer, the red dot was gone.

"What?!" Black Bat screeched. She tapped the map and then the keyboard frantically, trying to find Jason again, but his signal was gone. "That stupid kid disabled the tracker," she growled. "What's wrong with him? Did it not occur to him that maybe, just maybe, some backup would be good to have around? Gah!" She kicked the chair viciously, sending it careening across the cave.

Black Bat clenched her fists, arms shaking as every muscle coiled like a spring. _He's going to get himself killed!_ She shook her head and stalked to her own bike. _No. Not on my watch, damn it. I am not letting him run off on a suicide mission alone. Hell will freeze over before I lose him too._

She straddled the motorcycle and shoved on her helmet. It took every ounce of willpower she possessed to keep from crushing the handlebars into tiny pieces. She turned on her comm., and dialed into Batman's frequency.

"_Did you find something?"_ Batman's gruff voice asked quietly across the line. He was obviously sneaking around someplace where he didn't want to be heard.

Black Bat bit back an involuntary sigh as she started the motor and roared out of the cave. "More like lost something. Robin's gone. I tried to stop him – nothing worked. He even ditched his communicator and killed his tracker. Last I saw, he was heading towards the city."

Batman muttered something very unflattering. Black Bat chose to think he wasn't saying it towards her. He probably was. _"I'll try and get his tracker back online from the Batmobile. See if you can catch up with him. We'll search the city in the most likely areas he'll go to – Crime Alley, the docks, the warehouse district – and we'll skip the upper side of the city. Robin will be after Joker, and those are the areas where the Joker is most likely to be."_

He never said it out loud. Not that night, or any other afterward. He never once said it was her fault… but he didn't have to. She could feel the anger, disappointment and frustration in his voice. She was supposed to protect Jason – it was her job to keep him safe. She was his mentor too, and she failed tonight. Whatever happened, this would be on her hands.

SnowmenxSnowmenxSnowmen

Heather hated snow. She would never be able to look at it the same way again after tonight.

Not without seeing it slowly turn red, then dark brown.

In the end, she was on the other side of the city when it happened. Even so, she felt the slight tremble in the ground and heard the dull roar in her ears. She saw a bright flash of light, then the sky grew even darker as it filled with smoke.

When she finally got to see him, they were back in the cave. Bruce had laid him on the exam table. No amount of stitches or antiseptic was going to help now.

She stared at his uniform – torn, tattered, and coated in snow the opposite color it should have been. His hand was limp in hers as she lifted it and held it between her own. He was freezing to the touch, and it seemed to put a chill in her own bones which she couldn't shake.

His body was in worse shape than his uniform. Through ripped fabric, she could see blossoming bruises along his ribs – most broken like toothpicks. His face was the same, still swelling in places, particular under his left eye which was now deep purple. Not to mention the trail of red leaking from the corner of his mouth.

It was amazing, really. The body continued to react to injury, even after the point where blood clotting, fluids swelling, and fever spikes wouldn't do a damn bit of good.

In that moment, when the only sounds were running water and Bruce's broken sobs coming from the showers, was when Heather felt something small and precious shatter inside her chest. The pain exploded outwards, like a grenade, obliterating everything in its path.

Knees buckling she knelt beside the table, still clutching Jason's very cold, very dead hand. Her anguished screams filled the cave, as her mind struggled to keep her sanity together.

_NO! No, please! Jason! JASON! You can't go – you can't leave me! I'm sorry. God almighty, I am so sorry! Please come back – please!_

She held Jason's limp hand to her heart. It felt like it was trying to melt into a puddle and harden into solid rock inside her chest at the same time. With every heartbeat, the agony seemed to increase tenfold.

Heather could barely see Jason's beaten form through the ocean of tears. She unsteadily reached up and pulled herself to her feet, legs trembling. She leaned heavily on the table, hunched over his body as she held his hand as if in prayer.

_Jason, please come back. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please…_

"Please," Heather whispered hoarsely, shakily pushing his obsidian hair from his forehead. She carefully peeled off what was left of his mask. "Please, don't leave. _Please._"

Jason was still and she knew he would never speak with her again.

SnowmenxSnowmenxSnowmen

_*Knock, knock, knock*_

"Heather?" Dick asked, almost in a whisper.

He scuffed his black dress shoes on the hallway carpet, tugging at the tie loosely hanging from his neck. He glanced out the window at the fading late afternoon light. The clouds promised there would be more snow on the ground by the morning. Enough to cover up the freshly dug grave in the Wayne family plot.

"Heather, please, I know you're in there. The people downstairs," he glanced over the railing, his ears pricking at the sound of soft voices. "They're asking where you've been, since we came home."

He closed his eyes and swallowed, resting his forehead on the door. "They keep saying 'Have courage' – and I'm trying to. We all are. And we're right out here for you. Please, just let me in? We only have each other. Barbara's leaving for a while. Bruce has shut down. Alfred's overwhelmed. It's just you, and me." He sighed, "What are we going to do?" He whispered, as much to her as himself. He bit his lip, "Do… do you want to build a snowman?"

On the other side of the door, Heather turned over on Jason's bed, his pillow clutched to her chest. She closed her eyes as the tears steadily fell.


	34. This Sucks - Part Five

_She lives! I cannot emphasize enough how much I miss writing on a regular basis, and I'm very sorry my updates have been so slow. IRL, though, I have a lot of things going on right now – too many to list, and I don't want a pity party, so I'll spare you the details._

_I've had this portion written for a while, but I kept tweaking it since it didn't sound right, or read right, or whatever to me. I finally decided to release it as is, so I hope you all enjoy it._

_Thank you all so very much for sticking around for over two, almost three, years! Every review makes me smile, and I do reply to them as best as I can, so if you ever have questions or concerns, let me know._

_Enjoy!_

**What a Web We Weave**

**Chapter 34) This Sucks – Part Five**

Together the trio made the trip back into the med bay. When they got there, they found the room empty, save for Heather, Dick and Kurt. If possible, Heather had only gotten paler and now had an IV. She looked like she was sleeping as Kurt held her hand and Robin worked on the computer off to the side.

"Heather!" Audrey exclaimed, flipping out of Batman's arms and running to the bed. She pulled herself on the bed swiftly and crawled up the sheets. She frowned when her sister didn't open her eyes right away, glancing at Kurt uncertainly.

Kurt smiled half-heartedly, but even Audrey could tell he felt as blue as his skin. "She's fine, little one. Just resting."

Audrey turned back to Heather, a tiny 'v' appearing on her smooth forehead. She placed a tentative hand on Heather's cheek. She looked up quickly at her sister's boyfriend and best friend, "What's wrong with her?"

"We don't know yet," Dick replied, after turning from the computer. "But we're doing what we can to find out." He noticed Audrey paying rapt attention to his lips, so she wouldn't miss anything.

"Where are Professor Xavier and the others?" Batman asked.

Dick shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Dunno. Last I heard they were still being given a tour by Supes."

Batman pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering something along the lines of 'annoying blue boy scout' under his breath. He sighed, "Come on Robin. We need to find them so we can start brainstorming a cure."

With a swish of his cape, Batman left the room. Dick clapped Kurt on the shoulder, kissed Audrey's brow and nodded to MJ before following his mentor.

Kurt glanced over his shoulder at his girlfriend's mother, noticing her for the first time. "Frau Parker," he looked between her and Audrey, suddenly making the connection. "Oh, right." He sighed and gripped one side of his head, feeling utterly drained. "I don't zhink I'm running on all cylinders."

Mary Jane gave him a warm smile and patted his shoulder. "How long have you been here? You look exhausted."

He nodded. "Da. I haven't been here long, but vizh Heazher so ill… it feels like a lifetime." He squeezed the limp hand cradled in his palm.

Mary Jane bobbed her head in silent agreement, placing the back of her hand across her eldest child's forehead, checking her temperature out of habit. She frowned at the warm, clammy feel of the skin beneath her own. "What do they know so far?"

Kurt shrugged and tapped a few keys on the console beside him, bringing up a holo-screen. "Not much. According to zhe last scans, Heazher's frontal floating ribs have extended on eizher side of her chest cavity and are beginning to merge togezher, creating small chambers beside her lungs. For what purpose, ve can only guess at zhe moment."

He paused and reached up, changing the view on the holo-screen to show a side view of his girlfriend's head, zooming in. "Zhere's also been some movement in her mouzh. It almost looks like she's got secondary adult teezh moving in to replace zhe ozhers."

Mary Jane squinted at the x-ray, frown deepening. "How is that possible? Everyone knows you only get two sets of teeth – baby and adult. Heather lost her last baby tooth when she was nine. And her wisdom teeth never grew in."

"Even if it vas zhose," Kurt added, "visdom teezh grow in zhe back of zhe mouth, near vhere zhe jaw bone and cranium connect. Zhese teezh are coming in everyvhere." He pointed one long blue finger at picture of Heather's jawline, indicating the whitish areas beneath each tooth. Every one of them was a new, sharper looking tooth about to supersede its predecessor.

Audrey had been watching the exchange between the two adults carefully, the 'v' on her forehead deepening every second. Now that MJ and Kurt were silent, she asked the question she'd been dreading. "What does that mean?" She signed it as she spoke, emphasizing her point.

The mutant and human swapped long looks and then gazed despondently at the two sisters.

"We have no idea," Mary Jane murmured.

YJxYJ

_Recognize. Spiderman A19. Arachnid B23._

"That thing always makes my stomach churn," Arachnid muttered, rubbing his abdomen. It was about an hour and a half later when he and his father walked into Mount Justice.

"Get used to it. Short of teleporting or boom tubes, it's the fastest way to travel on this planet." Spiderman replied flatly.

Harry rolled his eyes behind his mask. "Dad, seriously, Mom would not have called us down here if this wasn't important. She knows you hate leaving things unfinished."

"Not now, Harry," Peter said, pulling off his mask and pinching the bridge of his nose, a habit both he and his oldest daughter reluctantly shared.

He sighed. "Will you at least tell me what Mom's call was about?" Harry asked for about the hundredth time since they'd left the bad guys for Captain America, Iron Man and Wasp to deal with.

"You'll see soon enough," Peter said cryptically.

Harry pulled back his own mask, showing how his mouth was drawn into a tight irritated line, but he didn't reply.

Heather had given him quite a few pieces of advice when he'd begun working with their Dad, but the one that proved true time and again, was this: _When Peter is mad, keep your mouth shut and stay out of his way. Eventually, all the pieces will fall into place if you give him time to stew it over._ Heather was no Gandhi, but her advice usually hit the nail on the head, even if it wasn't eloquent.

The tense silence between the two spiders didn't last long though. Superboy and Kid Flash came jogging into the room – well, jogging for Conner and a slow run for Wally that is. Evidently they'd heard the noise of the zeta and the computer announcing the arrival of the two New York heroes.

"Yo Harry!" Wally smiled, fist bumping the brown haired boy. "Like the new suit. Green and yellow – nice!"

"Thanks," Harry smiled back, his father's foul mood forgotten for the moment. He gave Conner a fist bump as well. "Do you guys know what's going on? My Mom pulled us from the field, but somebody," he shot his Dad a look, "Won't tell me why."

Conner and Wally frowned at each other. "Um…"

"Where's Mary Jane?" Peter asked before either boy could answer his son's question.

Conner thumbed behind him, "Med bay. Around the corner, past the living room."

"I remember," Peter rubbed his forehead, like he was fighting a migraine. "Arachnid, stay with Kid Flash and Superboy. I'll find you later." With that, the wall-crawler marched in the direction of the medical wing.

Harry blinked after him. "What the hell is his problem anyway? He's acting like someone died." Wally couldn't hide his wince before Harry noticed. Brown eyes narrowed and glared at the clone and speedster. "Explain. Now."

"You really are Heather's brother," Wally folded his arms and sighed.

When Harry just continued to stare expectantly, Conner did what he did best. He told the truth – bluntly. "Heather's ill. M'gann told us what the adults have been thinking. She could be dying and they don't know why."

For a moment, Harry's face became blank stone. He didn't even seem to be breathing. Then he was running.

"Hey –!" Wally exclaimed, spinning around and dashing to intercept Harry at the doorway, Conner right behind him. The ginger pushed the boy back, holding him by the upper arms. "Harry, calm down! You can't go back there right now."

"Let me go! Let me go!" Harry yelled, using all of his enhanced strength against the speedster, and at first it was working. He could feel himself gaining ground. But then Conner was there behind him, wrapping his large arms around Harry's own upper limbs and chest, lifting his feet off the ground like he weighed nothing.

"Harry, don't freak out on us, bro! Batman, Superman, Red Tornado, Black Canary, Professor X and Beast are all working on it. We're not going to let anything happen to your sister, but right now there's nothing any of us can do. Running in there right now won't solve anything!" Wally argued with the distressed teen, trying to make eye contact as Harry continued to struggle in Conner's hold.

"I have to see her!" Harry cried, straining every muscle in his body. "I have to see her for myself. I have to know she's okay!"

"What's goin' on out here?" Rogue, Artemis and Zatanna came running from the other room to find the two older boys fighting to control the younger. "Get off 'im!" Rogue continued, glaring at the boys.

"Mlac nwod, yrraH! Esaeler mih, rennoC," Zatanna cast her spell quickly, and Conner suddenly found himself dropping his arms and taking a step back. Harry now looked calm, but was still trembling as he dropped to his knees and hands.

Rogue approached slowly, bending down and putting a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder. "You okay, sugar?" she asked quietly.

He shook his head. "My Dad didn't tell me why we were coming here. He didn't tell me that Heather was –" he bit his lip, glancing away. "I, I'm sorry guys. I didn't mean to freak out on you."

Conner shrugged. "I've freaked worse."

"It's no big deal, man," Wally added, rubbing his neck. "We're all a little on edge right now. Even though Heather's not part of the team any more… she still is in a way. She really gets under your skin," he added, chuckling slightly.

Artemis shook her head. "What Kid Mouth over here is trying to say, is we're all worried, but we're going to stick together. We'll figure it out and Heather… well, she's gotten through harder situations."

"Now that your Dad is here, I'm sure the League and the X-Men will find the answers we're looking for," Zatanna put in, smiling cheerfully. Everyone could tell though that it was forced. The worry could be heard in her tone and seen in her sky blue eyes.

"Wait, the X-Men are here?" Harry asked, confused, while Conner gave him a hand up.

Rogue lifted an eyebrow. "What am I? Chopped liver?"

"Oh," Harry reddened slightly. "No, no, of course not, Rogue! I, um, just didn't think about how you got here, that's all." He kicked at an invisible rock with the toe of his boot, "I'm a little rattled in the head still."

"Zhat seems to be going around," Kurt said, after suddenly teleporting into the room in his usual puff of blue smoke. Audrey was cradled in his arms and smiled when she saw her brother.

Everyone demanded to know if there were any developments. Kurt explained what the computer scans indicated, but added that like them, he knew little else. The adult heroes had given Heather another dosage of pain meds – "enough to bring five grown men to zheir knees." He added that she was now talking with her parents.

"I just don't understand," Harry said, swallowing as a lump threatened to fill his throat. "Why is this happening to her? Is it even connected to her powers?"

"It's the most probable cause," Wally said lamely. He rubbed his neck. "Did it happen to your Dad once or something?"

"Sort of I guess," Harry admitted. "He mentioned something like it before, when we were discussing old villain files he has."

"Well, did it happen to your other Dad?" Conner asked.

The members of Young Justice shot him incredulous looks. Wally even face palmed, while M'gaan covered her mouth. The others just stared at him, mystified.

"What are you talking about, Con?" Harry asked slowly.

Conner frowned at them all, "I thought you knew. Heather told us about it, back when Aqualad learned his father was Black Manta. I think she told us just to make him feel better, but it didn't really work."

"Told you about what?" Harry narrowed his eyes.

"About how your dad isn't Spiderman."

YJxYJxYJ

"You're not even going to say a word to me, are you?" MJ demanded, her arms folded as she leaned against a table.

Peter ignored her, tapping on the holoscreen that had just done a fresh scan of Heather's body. He frowned at the results distractedly. "This isn't right…" he muttered.

"No kidding," MJ said. "Your daughter is on death's doorstep, and you don't even care."

"Why should he?" Heather managed to mumble. Her eyes fluttered open and shut randomly, as she tried to make her brain work through the fog the drugs had caused to precipitate around her neurons. To say it was exhausting work, would be like saying Atlas occasionally broke a sweat. "He has more important things to worry about than a –" she winced, "a naïve, silly girl he's never been bothered to love."

"Heather May Parker, you know that's not true!" Mary Jane snapped. "Your father loves you and –"

"He tolerates me," Heather cut her off with a tired but firm glare. "Besides," she added, shifting her gaze back to Peter who was still ignoring them, "he's not my father." She stated this calmly, but there was no disguising the bitterness in her voice. She was done lying, done pretending. If these were her final hours, she was not leaving this world without uncovering the truth once and for all.

"How can you say that, Heather?" MJ said, blinking uncertainly at both of them.

Peter turned and stared at the auburn haired young woman lying in the bed, his face full of shock, disbelief and anger. "How dare you," he growled.

"What?" Heather challenged, struggling into a sitting position even while gritting her teeth. She laid her arm across her chest, gripping her aching ribs as her other hand trembled under the effort of holding her upright. "How dare I tell the truth? How dare I finally confess our deep dark secret, to the woman who deserves to know the most? How dare I act like a normal human being?" She shook her head. "You're unbelievable."

"What is she talking about, Peter?" MJ's expression had lost its sadness and now began to turn suspicious.

"I'm talking about Ben Riley," Heather spoke up, straining to reach a button on the side of the bed. She clicked it and part of the top of the table lifted into a gentle slope. She leaned back against the now elevated bed, taking several deep breaths before she continued. "Peter Parker is not my father. Ben Riley is. Peter let him die, then erased my memory of it."

Peter and Heather stared at each other for a long time. Despite her current physical condition, she wasn't backing down and when Peter realized this, he sighed and looked away.

"It wasn't supposed to be this way," He muttered. "I didn't want any of it to happen. I was in a bad place emotionally back then. When Ben showed up, it just seemed like the easiest solution – a chance for me to get some distance and gain a new perspective, figure out if my life was going the way I wanted it to."

"Going the way you wanted it?" MJ repeated, narrowing her eyes. "Peter, you're talking about… I mean, we were _engaged_! You proposed to me. We were planning the rest of our lives together, and you decided you needed a new perspective? Why didn't you tell me you were having doubts? We could've postponed the wedding, gotten counselling – something!"

Peter shrugged lamely, unable to come up with a proper excuse. "You were so happy."

"So were you! Or at least that's what you told me," MJ retorted.

Peter didn't answer.

Heather watched this argument between her 'parents' with detached interest. On the one hand, this was what she had wanted for years. To finally get the truth out. To tell her Mom how she had been lied to, and get some well-deserved revenge for all the emotional bull crap she'd been put through. Now that she was watching it unfold, however, she couldn't feel any enjoyment or even satisfaction. Maybe it was because she was too distracted by the pain… or maybe there was a small part of her that wished she'd never said a word. She'd never know for sure.

"Let me get this straight," MJ said, rubbing her forehead. "You're telling me that I married Ben, who was pretending to be you, while you became Spiderman full time?"

Peter nodded.

MJ blew out a tired breath and closed her eyes slowly. "Well, this explains why you two have been so tense the last couple of years…" She trailed off and paused briefly before her eyes snapped back open. "Oh my God. Ben… he and I…" She looked at Heather, scrutinizing her face like she was seeing it for the first time. "That's what you meant," she murmured.

Heather nodded softly, then added, "I was four when things changed," she tilted her head at Peter, "just before Harry was born. I knew something was wrong back then. I just couldn't understand why Dad suddenly didn't love me. When I found out the truth," her voice cracked as tears slipped down her cheeks, "I realized Dad never stopped loving me, he just couldn't show it anymore because he was…" she swallowed.

"Oh baby," MJ came over and gently pulled Heather into her arms, stroking her back.

Peter stood awkwardly off to the side, watching his wife and 'adopted' daughter mourn the loss of a man he couldn't save.

Despite all the backstabbing, all the harassment, all the cold words Peter had dished out to Heather over the years – in part because of his guilt and in part over an unexplainable anger he had never found a proper outlet for – he did not in fact hate her. Never had. Never would. But he also realized that perhaps it was too little, too late for them. There were too many scars for their relationship to properly heal. Anything he said or did now would fall on numb tissue.

Still…

He cleared his throat. "I think I know what's happening to you."

Heather and MJ looked up; the latter hopeful, the former wary.

Peter shifted to the side and switched his attention back to the holoscreen, "And I think I know how we can cure you."

YJxYJxYJxYJ

"Heather's DNA is mutating," Spiderman stated to the assembled group of adult heroes, plus Nightcrawler. "This is most likely due to her unusual circumstances: being the offspring of a clone of a metahuman," he stated this quickly, utilizing sterile terms to avoid the emotional baggage that came with the acknowledgement.

There were a few shocked expressions and raised eyebrows exchanged, but no one interrupted the scientist.

"I hadn't fully realized just how unstable that could leave her biological structure, though I should have. It is clear that now Heather's DNA is shifting and breaking down at the same time. The changes happening to her are inevitable, and we can't stop it. However," he added. "We can still save her life."

Spiderman pulled up a holoscreen and enlarged the code of a chemical formula. "This gene cleanser was once used by a friend of mine to help stabilize my own DNA. On its own, it would do nothing to help Heather's condition. But by restructuring the formula, adding in these new compounds I've developed with the extensive aid of Red Tornado, Professor X, Batman and Beast," he manipulated the screen to pull out sections of the formula and replace them with others, "We've created a serum which by our calculations will regulate the portions of Heather's DNA which is collapsing. This will also smooth the transition between her current power set, and the new one her body is mutating towards."

"If all goes well, Heather will be as healthy as before, perhaps more so," Spiderman closed the holoscreen and looked around the room. "Any questions?"

Black Canary stepped forward. "Have you already synthesized the formula?"

"No," Batman answered. "It will take approximately two hours to manufacture. Even after we administer it, it will take another three hours to tell whether it worked."

"Do we have that kind of time?" Nightcrawler asked, a gleam of panic in his eyes.

Heather squeezed his hand and gave a feeble smile. "Hey, I'm not dead yet," she reminded him.

"But she is unfortunately not far," Beast added grimly. "Therefore, we'll be keeping her sedated. This will not only keep her comfortable, but it will slow the progression of her deteriorating DNA enough to give us time to make the cure."

"So essentially, the rest of us are going to be sitting on our hands for the next five hours, while all of you work to make a cure that may or may not work?" MJ said, her arms folded as she glared in general around the room. However, she couldn't bring herself to look at her husband. Not now, so soon after the truth had come out. She wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to look at him the same way again.

"I'm afraid so," Superman confirmed, looking none too pleased himself.

"I know this isn't what any of you want to hear," Batman said in an almost gentle tone, "But the best way you can help, is to keep out of the way while we work. Keep each other's spirits up. Think positively. We'll call you all in as soon as we know anything for sure."

Wolverine, Black Canary, MJ and Superman reluctantly acquiesced and began filing out of the room.

Kurt was the last to leave. He stroked Heather's cheek, blinking his vision clear. Heather gave him her usual brave smile, the one he'd fallen in love with, and reached up to softly wipe away his tears.

"Please, Heazher," he begged quietly, "don't leave me."

She swallowed. "Not in a million years, Kurt. I'll see you in a few hours," she promised.

Kurt leaned down and kissed her mouth tenderly. "_Ich werde auf dich warten, meine Liebe_," he whispered.*

He stayed with her until Red Tornado came and inserted the sedative into her IV, and her eyes slowly fluttered closed. Giving her one more kiss, he turned and left the med bay, heart heavy.

Kurt paused in the hallway outside the room, hearing the voices of his friends in the living room. He knew they were going through the same feelings as he was, knew that being with them would encourage him… but at that moment, he couldn't stand the idea of being around anyone.

In a puff of smoke, he disappeared from the hallway, reappearing a moment later in Heather's old bedroom in the mountain. No one had used it after she'd left – whether out of respect or sadness, he wasn't sure. He sat on the bed and pulled the pillow tight to his chest. Closing his eyes, he let a single tear slip out.

*German translation: _I'll wait for you, my Love. _If that was in any way incorrect, please let me know. I rely solely on Google Translate for my writing, and I know it's not very accurate.


	35. Memories

_Hey guys. So there was a slight mix up the other night. You might have noticed that Chapter 30 got posted again as Chapter 35. This happened because I was re-uploading ch 30 and posting 35 on the same night, but it was like 1am, I was tired and I got mixed up. Sorry for the confusion!_

_Now, here is the actual chapter 35, and if you want to read the rewrite of 30, you can take a look at that as well. Be warned, the following chapter is very heavy. I seem to have a thing for writing Dick and Heather chapters with a lot of hurt/comfort. This time, I threw Wally in the mix, because Wally is awesome :) Anyway, enjoy and sorry again for the mix up!_

**What a Web We Weave**

**35) Memories**

When Heather walked into the mountain, she could tell right away that something was wrong. Wally, Conner and Zatanna were sitting around the table playing a game of cards, but no one seemed to be enjoying themselves. M'gaan was baking up a storm – there were already six sheets of cookies cooling, and Heather watched as the Martian levitated two more trays into the oven. M'gaan only ever baked with this much intensity when she was worried.

"Hey guys," Heather said quietly. She set her backpack on the end of the table carefully, her tone gentle, "What's going on?"

Zatanna looked up, forehead pinched with worry. "Robin's…" she bit her lip and shook her head.

"He's very distant today," M'gaan supplied, slowly stirring another bowl of batter.

"He came in the mountain and wouldn't talk to anyone," Conner added. "He just locked himself in his room. We tried asking Batman what was wrong, but all he would say is Robin was having a bad day and that we should leave him alone."

"Where's Batman now?" Heather frowned, glancing back towards the main room, like she'd somehow missed him.

"He left. Said there was something he had to take care of in Gotham," Conner folded his arms. He scowled at the cards on the table, and Heather was pretty sure that if the clone had heat vision, they would be on fire right now.

Heather shifted her focus to Wally, surprised by his silence. He met her gaze, his green eyes miserable. He looked like he wanted to say something, but she had a feeling he was holding back because of the others. Heather flicked her gaze toward the direction of the hanger bay, and he nodded once.

"Don't worry you guys," Heather said, giving a forced smile. "I'm sure he's okay. Wally and I will go check on him." The girls nodded, appearing uncomforted by this. Conner's scowl only deepened, but he didn't respond.

Heather waited until they were in the hanger bay before asking, "Isn't today…?"

Wally put his hands in his pockets and kicked at the concrete. "Yeah, it is. I think it's worse this year than it was last year, but I don't know why."

Heather rubbed the bridge of her nose, exhausted. "Did you try talking with him?" she asked, not unkindly.

"He won't open the door. He wouldn't even talk to me through the door." Wally glared at nothing in particular, his hands becoming fists in his pockets. "He's my best friend. Why won't he let me help him? This is the Haley case all over again!"

"To be fair," Heather said calmly, "He didn't totally level with me either on that case."

"At least he included you!" Wally snapped.

Heather shrugged uncomfortably. "We've been over this Wally. I made him take me – if he'd had his way, I wouldn't have come at all. Let's not rehash this," she shook her head, more exhausted than ever. As if her late night of patrol hadn't made her tired enough, now there was this.

"What are we going to do, Heather?" Wally asked wearily, all irritation gone from his voice. "I'm… I'm worried. You know just how low Dick can get when he's like this."

Heather took a deep breath, running a hand through her hair. "Let me try talking with him."

"Heather, he wouldn't even come to the door for me," Wally pointed out doubtfully.

"It can't hurt to try," she shrugged.

Once outside Robin's room, however, Heather admitted to herself that this might have been a bad idea. Dick had encrypted the lock on his door, which he only ever did when he really wanted people to leave him alone. Nonetheless, Heather raised her fist and knocked.

"Robin? It's Heather. Can I come in?" She asked, pressing close against the door, listening for sounds inside. There were strange muffled noises and shuffling, but otherwise it was quiet.

Wally gave her a 'what did I tell you' look. She waved him off and knocked again. "Dick," She said quietly, "It's me and Wally. Just us. Come on, let us in."

Nothing.

"Alright," Heather muttered. "Desperate times." She activated the touchpad and tapped in her access code, along with Batman's override code. The touchpad beeped softly. A message scrolled across the screen: 'Access Granted'.

Wally's eyes bugged out. "How do you know Batman's code?" he demanded.

Heather smirked. "You'd be surprised by the secrets I keep in my head." She pressed the door's button and it swooshed open silently.

Wally and Heather stepped inside, the door closing automatically behind them. They took a moment to let everything sink in. Dick was laying on his bed, curled up on his side holding a stuffed elephant. His sunglasses were on the bedside table, next to his mask. The room's lights were dimmed down, making the scene even bleaker. From the bed, there came the sound of soft crying.

"Oh Dick," Heather whispered.

Wally rubbed his arm. "Dude…"

Heather moved first, coming around to the opposite side of the bed and sitting down gently. She placed a hand on Dick's back and rubbed soft circles between his shoulder blades. It only seemed to make him cry harder.

Wally came and knelt in front of the bed, touching his friend's arm tentatively, afraid that Dick would pull away. He didn't. The younger boy loosened his grip on the elephant slightly to reach out and clasp Wally's hand.

It took Dick several minutes, but eventually he managed to control his breathing enough to speak. "I'm – I'm sorry," his voice caught, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks.

"You never have to apologize," Wally said, shaking his head.

"Not for this, or anything else," Heather's voice was a gentle whisper. "We know how much you miss them."

Dick sniffed and nodded, burying his face into the elephant's soft body. "It's been five years today. They've been gone for five years. I just…"

"Shh," Heather soothed, pushing Dick's hair off his sweaty brow.

There was another long silence, as Dick grappled with his grief in an internal battle. Wally and Heather stayed where they were. Neither one thought for even a moment to give Dick time alone – the last thing, they both thought, the orphaned boy needed was to be alone.

"C-can you," Dick swallowed several times before he could get the words out. "Can you stay with me? Just for a little while? Bruce wanted to be with me, but Joker has this bomb. It could level the city. Bruce promised that the second Joker was back in Arkham, he'd be back here. Could you stay until he comes?"

"We're here as long as you need us," Heather promised.

Wally nodded firmly.

Dick smiled faintly at his friends. He scooted over slightly, and Heather took the silent invitation to lay down next to him, while Wally made himself comfortable sitting against the headboard. Wally kept one hand on Dick's head, the other still clasped in the acrobat's hand. Heather cuddled her adopted brother, noticing for the first time that he was catching up to her height.

"Thanks guys," Dick murmured.


End file.
